Loyalty
by Starstilettos
Summary: Little did the Galaxy Soldier Army know that their newest recruit had a dark secret that might either destroy or save them. Whom is Meta loyal to? And how far does his loyalty go?
1. Meeting a stranger

**Hey guys! :) This is my second story on this site and since I'm just a German teenager with too much free time, it won't be perfect. If you find any grammatical errors or something else that sounds strange, please tell me; I'm always glad when I can fix mistakes and learn :)**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own anything, they belong to their respective owners. I'm making no profit with this, it's just for fun.**

* * *

><p>In the depths of the universe, on a small planet named Mori, a patrol of three Galaxy Soldiers made its way through the wasteland the planet was now. Once, the planet had prospered with live; a thick forest had covered the land, allowing many different animals a safe life and giving the inhabitants a livelihood. The leader of the patrol, a hot pink colored, ball shaped warrior, ruffled the feathers of his wings in sadness.<p>

Now, all that was left after years of war were burnt tree-trunks and the bare, rocky ground. A sharp wind blew over the planet, carrying the ashes of past battles with him which made it impossible to see farther than a few meters.

The warrior held back a sigh; they had hoped to save this planet, but it looked like their struggle had been in vain. The fact that this planet was the home of his species didn't make it any better. A shadow flew across the small patrol and a screech was heard; a flying demon beast, no doubt. However, it seemed not to notice the warriors through the ash.

Its wing beats caused the ashes on the ground to whirl through the air. The warriors coughed when they inhaled it. _'This isn't our home anymore_,' the hot pink warrior thought.

A sudden shriek, followed by the sound of a sword crashing on flesh was heard. The patrol stopped abruptly and tried to locate the source of the noise. Their tension was almost tactile. They were meant to protect this planet and its inhabitants after all. "This way, Galacta Knight!," called a green, ball-shaped warrior with a red mohawk and pointed with his sword to the left.

The pink warrior, Galacta Knight, nodded. Instantly, the patrol broke into a run.

The sound of battle came closer and they soon found the source in a ravine. The tree-trunks thinned out around it; it had probably been a clearing before everything had been burnt down. The warriors went closer to the edge and looked down into the gap. On its bottom, a demon beast looking like a giant crow cornered... something.

It was moving too fast to be identified at first. Finally, it stopped a few seonds and they realized what it was. This "something" turned out to be a blue, male and ball-shaped creature, obviously one of their kind.

He used a plain, slightly rusty sword to lash out for the demon; his navy blue cape waved behind him when the fighter dodged the sharp beak of the beast. Then, he took a swift blow at his opponent's belly. It shrieked with pain, unfolded its large wings and pushed itself into the air. With powerful wing beats, it disappeared into the ash-filled air. The three soldiers didn't know that it only flew from their sight before landing and sneaking back.

With the battle ended, the only sound left was the wind blowing. However, the sudden silence seemed not to bother the fighter; he simply sheathed his sword and brushed the ash from his cape. Farther up, on the edge of the ravine, stood the patrol and looked down on him with a mixture of surprise, distrust and awe.

"Maybe he is...?," asked the warrior with the mohawk and threw Galacta Knight a look.

But before his pink companion could answer, the third and last member of their patrol, a warrior with spiky blond hair that was split in the middle by his helmet, spoke up: "He _is_, Sir Falspar. No usual Puffball can defeat a demon beast on his own."

Puffball. That was what their species was called and despite their name suggested else, their kind had originated many powerful warriors.

Galacta Knight shook his head: "N.M.E. killed them all and you know that, Jecra. It's impossible-" He was cut off when the blue Puffball from the ravine talked; they never found out how he got from down there on a rock behind them.

"I am a what?," he asked calmly, obviously unimpressed by three powerful, experienced Galaxy Soldier Army members. He had wrapped his blue cape around himself tightly and a metallic mask covered his face, the v-shaped opening only revealing his yellow eyes.

Sir Falspar, startled, unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the stranger: "How did you do that?"

Even with a blade aimed at him, the blue Puffball didn't lose his calmness: "Did what?" His eyes glittered violet for a heartbeat, as if he was amused. Now Jecra approached the stranger and pushed Sir Falspar back while doing so.

"Nevermind. Who are you, in the first place?," he asked and threw his companions a warning glance so they wouldn't interfere. They understood; Jecra had a great talent to handle foreigners.

The stranger dipped his head slightly: "My name is Meta. May I come to know yours?" His tone was polite, almost formal, making Jecra rise a brow under his mask. In times like this, it was rare to meet sombody with manners like this. He shook his head slightly as if to clear it.

"Sure," he said, "I'm Jecra... Sir Jecra to be precise and I serve in the Galaxy Soldier Army."

Galacta Knight spoke up: "I'm Galacta Knight and this," he signaled to an angry looking Falspar, "is Sir Falspar." His tone made it obvious how superior he felt toward the blue fighter.

But either Meta didn't realize this or simply ignored it. He only nodded: "It's a pleasure to meet you."

All four were silent for a few seconds, before Meta spoke up again. "When you were talking earlier, Falspar – excuse me, _Sir_ Falspar of course – suggested I was... something. I would like to know what he meant." His tone was still calm, but the patrol could tell that he was determined to get an answer.

They looked at each other for a few seconds. Finally, Jecra said: "Sir Faslpar thought you might be... a Star Warrior."

* * *

><p><strong>Soooo... I originally wanted this to be prologue, but somehow, it became a full chapter oô<strong>

**Whatever... I would love to get some reviews :)**

**And for the difference between Star Warriors and Galaxy Soldiers... This will be explained in the next chapter^^**


	2. Knights and Scars

**So, this is chapter two^^**

**Nightmare and N.M.E. are the same, but I use both words so I don't have to repeat one word so often.**

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I don't make any profit with this.**

* * *

><p>Meta looked at the Galaxy Soldiers a few seconds. "Excuse me?," he asked.<p>

"A Star Warrior," Sir Falspar growled, "You know, great power when fighting and that stuff."

"I'm sorry," Meta said, "But I have no clue what you're talking about."

A rustle was heard and everyone turned around sharply. They saw nothing but burnt, bare tree-trunks and rocky, ash-covered earth. However, they obviously were followed.

"We'll return to the base," Galacta Knight decided, "We can talk there." He, Jecra and Falspar made a few steps, signaling Meta to follow them. The blue Puffball hesitated a few seconds and looked down into the ravine. Scattered on its bottom lied several rocks. In the shadows of one crouched the crow-demon beast.

It stared up at Meta whose eyes glowed red for a brief second. However, Meta showed no signs of tension or fear. He looked more like he wanted to apalogize to the demon for his earlier attack.

Very slowly, the crow-demon dipped its head as if it accepted the unspoken apology. Meta mirrored its movement and waved like he was saying goodbye to a friend.

Then, he swiftly jumped down from the rock he had still been standing on and followed the GSA-soldiers into the burnt down forest, his feet and cape leaving a faint trail in the ash on the ground.

* * *

><p>Far away, in the most outlying part of the universe, was Nightmare's fortress located. High, somehow not real looking towers rose up from a huge, disc-shaped ship. Electric sparks danced across them. Demon beasts flew, climbed or ran all over the place like flies swarming on a dead animal. This dark place was where Nightmare, also known as N.M.E., resided.<p>

Right now, the GSA's worst foe watched a giant screen in the commando center. It showed the ravine where the Galaxy Soldiers had met Meta. The image quality wasn't too good due to the flakes of ash whirled through the air, but it was clear enough to make out what was happening. Costumer Service, Nightmare's loyal servant reported: "Everything went according to plan. But if I'm allowed to say this, I doubt-"

"I know what you mean," N.M.E. cut him off with a soft chuckle, "But believe me, I made... precautions." Both laughed darkly. The Star Warriors fell for their scheme so easily...

* * *

><p>Sir Arthur stood close to the large table in his room aboard the GSA ship; which currently was their base on Mori. The room was large and round with bright walls and huge windows. Beneath the ceiling hung neon lamps that bathed the scene it cold, white light. Since the ash blocked out most of the natuarl light, these lamps were the only source of brightness.<p>

Sir Arthur bent down farther. A huge map was spread out across the desk top. Lines were drawn on the paper and notes were scribbled in the edges. His gaze travelled over the sheet. Areas marked red were under control of Nightmare while blue ones still belonged to the GSA. Sir Arthur furrowed his brow and sighed. Most of the map was red, with a few spots of blue here and there. He didn't see any way how they could defend the planet much longer._ 'We'll have to leave Mori...' _

A knock on the door startled him. He quickly straightened himself and made sure he didn't look sorrowful: "Come in!"

The metallic door slid open with a hissing sound. Galacta Knight and Sir Jecra entered, flanking a blue Puffball who wore a mask and a cape. They were covered with ash which portended they had been outside shortly before. _'Not more trouble I hope...,' _Arthur thought and supressed a sigh. However, by the way his soldiers acted, Sir Arthur could tell that the stranger wasn't a prisoner.

Jecra bowed slightly: "Sir Arthur?"

"What is it?," asked the GSA-leader and came closer. His voice showed how eager he was to find out who the stranger was.

"We think... we may have found a Star Warrior," Jecra said hesitantly.

Sir Arthur's eyes shone slightly with hope: "Really?"_ 'Maybe we have a chance after all... But what if they are wrong?'_, he asked himself while Jecra urged the blue Puffball to step forward.

"His name is Meta. We watched him fight off a demon beast on his own", explained Galacta Knight, "But obviously he hasn't heard of Star Warriors before." Meta nodded as if to confirm the Soldier's words.

"In that case...," Sir Arthur murmured and turned around a bit. _'I have too find out if he really is one', _he thought. A small smile crept on his face beneath his mask when he got an idea.

Suddenly he spun around again and lashed out with his sword for Meta. The blue Puffball reacted instinctively, unsheathed his sword in a mere second and blocked the attack. Sparks flew as metal collided with metal.

Approval glittered in Sir Arthur's eyes when he sheathed his sword. _'That was more than I hoped for', _he realized before saying: "You're definitely a Star Warrior, Meta _Knight._" Then, he stepped over to his desk, opened a drawer and carefully picked something up that was inside. Slowly, Sir Arthur came back and gave it to Meta Knight. It was a small, golden star.

As soon as Meta Knight touched it, a flicker blue danced across its surface; then, it went back to its usual golden color and Meta Knight attached it on his armor as he had seen it on the other soldiers.

"This," the GSA-leader explained, "is a Warpstar. Usual soldiers use it for transport, but for a Star Warrior, it's more than this. It is their source of power... You should take care of it well." Meta Knight nodded curtly. He felt his power increase already.

Sir Arthur turned to Jecra: "You will be his mentor. He needs to be taught the ways of our code." Sir Jecra nodded and turned around slightly like he was leaving.

"Wait a second," said Galacta Knight, who had been silent until now and stepped in his way, "We haven't seen his face yet." Meta Knight tensed up, but said nothing. Seeing this, Galacta Knight continued: "How can he join our ranks if we don't know who he is?"

"He never said he wanted to join us...," Jecra said quietly. Everyone looked at Meta Knight.

Slowly, very slowly, the Star Warrior took of his mask. A small gasp came from Galacta Knight, while Jecra and Sir Arthur remained silent. Meta Knight's face was definitely a puffball's. It was blue, with white eyes and cherry-red cheeks. But that wasn't what shocked the three Galaxy Soldiers.

A long, scarred claw mark went across his features.

"Satisfied?," Meta Knight asked coldly. It was obvious that he didn't like his face revealed like this.

"How did that happen?," asked Jecra, his voice barely audible.

Meta Knight put his mask back on and wrapped his cape around himself before answering quietly: "Fighting demon beasts on a daily basis won't leave anyone unharmed."

There was silence for about a minute, before Sir Arthur cleared his throat: "I think that's it for now. Sir Jecra, take Meta Knight for a lesson. Galacta Knight, please stay a bit longer. We have to discuss something."

He went back to his desk, showing them that they were dismissed.

* * *

><p><strong>So, to put it clear: A Star Warrior is something you have to be born as while everyone can become a GSA-member. Star Warriors get a "Knight" behind their name. Trained Soldiers get a "Sir" in front of their name. However, in this story, people keep confounding this. Why Galacta Knight doesn't have a "Sir" will be explained in the next chapter^^<strong>

**Thanks to Lunara the ara and CyanideSpirit for reviewing :)  
><strong>


	3. Rule one

**Two chapters in a single day? That can't be healthy... anyway, enjoy :3**

**Disclaimer: *sigh* don't own anything, make no profit, blablahblah, you know what I mean.**

* * *

><p>Sir Jecra led Meta Knight down the halls of the ship. The metallic floor made clicking sounds at their steps. Since there weren't any windows, the neon-light was the only source of brightness. Galaxy Soldiers passed them by, some throwing curious looks at Meta Knight, but none of them stopped for a chat.<p>

Finally, Jecra stopped in front of a large metal door. He pressed a green button on the side and with a hissing sound, it opened. The two stepped in and found themselves standing inside a large room. Although it had large windows, artificial light was needed, since ash blocked all light from the outside. Meta Knight noticed how soft the floor was, as if it was one giant mat.

Which it probably was. The sound of swords hitting shields filled the room along with voices shouting commands. "This is our training area," Jecra explained, "I don't think you'll need much training with handling a sword by what I've seen. However, I'll teach you how to fight in a honorable way."

Sir Jecra unsheathed his sword and went over to a free spot, signaling Meta Knight to follow him. The blue Puffball drew his sword as well. It wasn't as shiny as Jecra's, whose blade was practically gleaming despite its ragged edges.

"Alright... Attack me," Sir Jecra said, bringing himself in a defending position. Meta Knight carefully rated Jecra's strength.

_'He's larger than me, and probably stronger,' _the blue warrior thought, _'But if I manage to unbalance him, I can use his height for my advantage...'_

He jumped forward and aimed a quick, yet powerful blow for Jecra's chest. The GSA-soldier moved fast and blocked the attack, but Meta Knight already attacked a second time, this time aiming for the soldier's legs.

He managed to dodge and the blow missed him about an inch. However, this had unbalanced him and when Meta Knight made his next move, Sir Jecra wasn't prepared. He brought his sword up to block the blue Puffball's blow, but its force made him lose his grip.

The steel was hurtled away and landed out of Jecra's reach with a clattering sound. Meta Knight jumped forward, sword outstretched.

_'Gotcha!'_

Sir Jecra rolled out of the way and the blue recruit hit the wall behind the GSA-soldier painfully, losing his sword in the process.

"Rule one," Sir Jecra said sternly, "Never attack an unarmed opponent. Understood?"

Meta Knight came to his feet and nodded. What Sir Jecra didn't notice was the brief flash of red in the Star Warrior's eyes that betrayed his anger. However, he _did_ notice how Meta Knight had stiffened at his words.

Jecra sighed: "I know it's hard to understand why we should fight fair when the enemy doesn't. But we mustn't lower ourselves on their level. That's why only warriors who are taught and respect our code of honor are called 'Sir'." He looked to Meta Knight and hoped he would understand.

But the Star Warrior was bothered by something entirely different: "Is that why Galacta Knight isn't _Sir_ Galacta Knight?"

Sir Jecra was taken aback by this question.

_'Sir Arthur didn't allow me to tell anyone... But I have to tell him something...,' _he thought, his fists clenching. Hesitantly, he said: "Well... who is given the title 'Sir' is decided by Sir Arthur alone. If he thinks Galacta Knight isn't ready to get this title yet, he'll have his reasons for it."

Meta Knight's eyes flickered to an orange color of curiosity at this words, but he didn't insist on the subject. However, he didn't think this matter was settled: _'This is interesting... It seems like the GSA has problems within their own rows...'_

Sir Jecra picked up his sword: "Anyway, let's continue your training." Meta Knight rose his sword slightly, but a sudden commotion made him freeze. The whole ship was shaking wildly; the lights went red and flashy and a siren was heard.

"We're under attack," Sir Jecra growled, "Follow me." He hurried out of the room and down the halls.

* * *

><p>He was heading for Sir Arthur's room, but the GSA-leader came toward him before he reached it. "Your orders, Sir Arthur?," asked Jecra with a determined look on his face.<p>

"Prepare for leaving Mori."

"What?," exclaimed Sir Jecra disbelievingly, "Why?"

Galacta Knight stepped out from behind a corner: "Because Mori is lost. Staying here won't do any good." However, no matter what he said, he didn't look like he liked the idea.

Sir Arthur nodded in a confirming way; then he paused for a second or two: "Where is Meta Knight?"

"Right behi-," Jecra's voice faded when he turned around. No Meta Knight there.

Sir Arthur sighed: "Sir Jecra, go and find your wife. In her pregnancy, she can't defend herself. Galacta Knight, you search for Meta Knight. I'll go and get the others to prepare for leaving."

His soldiers nodded and did as they were told.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, hidden in the shadow of a small side entrance, stood a barely visible figure. Only its orange-red eyes were visible. It hit a green button and the door opened, allowing a slim, worm-like demon beast to enter. It was black, with tufts of hair growing on its body and oval, red eyes.<p>

"Diiiid it worrrrk?," asked it as if it wasn't used to speak.

The figure shook its head: "No. He dodged in time."

The demon growled with frustration and anger: "Reeeaaally... how harrrrd can it be tooo injure himmm? You areeeen' t even supposed to killlllll him..."

The figure's eyes went red with anger: "You weren't there! It's a lot harder-", he cut himself off suddenly, "Someone's coming!" The demon wanted to reply something, but was shoved outside roughly. The door closed just in time, when Galacta Knight came running around the corner.

"There you are, Meta Knight", the pink Star Warrior growled, "Why aren't you with Sir Jecra?"

"I'm sorry", Meta Knight said in a calm and polite way, "I got lost."

Galacta Knight didn't seem to be satisfied, but sighed: "Whatever. But you better come back with me now."

When they walked back, Galacta Knight eyed the blue Puffball closely._ 'Something about him is really fishy_,' the pink warrior thought, '_And I will find out what it is, no matter the cost!'_

* * *

><p><strong>Seems like someone got suspicious... :3<strong>

**CyanideSpirit: Thanks :)**

**Kyogreperson: Thanks again. And Galacta is awesome :3**

**Flamefox2: For the first thing: I tried to change it this time, but I think it still looks odd. Maybe I have to change the format I'm uploading the documents in :/ Also, I tried to slow down a bit in this chapter... Not sure if it worked, though... And a Star Warrior can have a "Sir" in front of his name as well ;)_  
><em>**


	4. Under attack

**Again, I own nothing, make no profit and so on. **

**[As you may have noticed, I changed the first chapters a bit - I tried to make the paragraphs look better and added some extra descriptions to slow down the story.]**

* * *

><p>But Galacta Knight wasn't the only one who was watching someone closely. Meta Knight had noticed the pink warrior's distrust after all. <em>'I have to find a way to make him trust me. I can't allow him to cross our plans', <em>he thought. The sound of an explosion drew their attention to a spot farther ahead. Smoke blocked their view. It swallowed the light of the neon lamps as well as the sound of the battle that was still going on.

"This isn't usual smoke!," Galacta Knight growled. 

_'Took you long enough to realize that', _Meta Knight thought and smirked under his mask. A flash of silver cut through the gray clouds and knocked both warriors over. Galacta Knight got to his feet instantly and drew his pink lance. The silver thing that had attacked them turned out to be demon beast.

It looked like a large, silver wolf with long teeth that were stained red with blood. Pipes came out of its back, still blowing smoke into the air. It's crimson colored eyes shone with bloodthirstiness as it gave a loud yowl and jumped at the pink Star Warrior. But Galacta Knight was an experienced warrior. He easily dodged and cut the demon's side open, then avoided the long, curved claws that lashed out for him. The beast screeched with pain.

Blind with fury, it threw its head around and snapped for the white winged warrior. Galacta Knight unfolded his wings, got in the air and dove around his enemy, but this time, he wasn't so lucky. The demon's large paw caught him and threw him into a wall. Galacta Knight fell to the ground, the demon beast towering in front of him. He reached for his lance, but the blow that the beast had landed had thrown it out of his reach.

The wolf-demon growled as if it was eager to bury its teeth into the Star Warrior. Just in time, Galacta Knight pulled up his shield and his opponent's teeth hit the metal. It growled and blew smoke from the pipes on its back, blinding the Star Warrior and making him cough. He shook slightly with the effort of holding the shield against the demon's jaws. However, Galacta Knight felt no fear. Anger, excitement and even a strange feeling of being _alive _welled through his body, but no fear. Yet he knew about the danger he was in; if he didn't find a way to defeat the demon beast soon, he was done for.

Suddenly, all pressure on his shield was gone. A high-pitched screech was heard; it didn't fit the wolf-demon, yet it was the beast. Galacta Knight soon saw what had caused the shriek. Meta Knight had attacked the demon from behind. The blue warrior clung to one of the pipes on the beast's back where it couldn't reach him. The demon beast spun around in rage, yowling and blowing smoke, but it couldn't shake Meta Knight off.

The blue Puffball knew this and unsheathed his sword, piercing the demon's back. It let out another screech and reared up. Meta Knight, who could only use one hand to hold on since with the other he was wielding his sword, lost his grip and was flung off its back. He crashed into the ceiling and fell to the ground. Yowling with pain, the demon threw itself on the blue Star Warrior, but Meta Knight rolled out of the way.

By now, Galacta Knight had gotten his lance and brought himself in a position behind the demon. The pink, glowing metal cut through the demon's flesh like a hot knife through butter. Once more, the demon screeched. It seemed to forget about Meta Knight and lunged out for the pink warrior. It shouldn't have ignored its second opponent.

Meta Knight jumped high in the air, slicing the demon beast in half with his sword, then landing on the ground in a crouching position. The demon let out a long, bloodcurdling screech and started to sway; the cut Meta Knight had made started to glow blue.

If it hadn't been for the noise, Galacta Knight might have heard how Meta Knight murmured: "I'm sorry, Kemuriokami" His eyes grew dull with sadness for a mere second. Then he shielded his eyes with his cape when the light became brighter and more intense. With a last, pain filled yowl, the demon beast exploded into millions of blue, electric sparks that disappeared quickly.

Now, that the demon beast was gone, the smoke cleared quickly. Galacta Knight examined his wings carefully; they seemed to be fine except for a few missing feathers. The pink warrior turned to Meta Knight: "Are you okay?"

Meta Knight got to his feet and nodded: "I'm fine."

They looked up when they heard hurried footsteps coming in their direction. Sir Arthur, Sir Jecra and two more soldiers appeared. They looked like they had fought a battle, too; their armor was scratched and Sir Arthur's left arm was bleeding slightly.

"I knew one of them got through our line on the main entrance," Jecra growled, before turning to Galacta Knight and Meta Knight. "Seems like you fought it off?", he asked. The two Star Warriors nodded. Jecra sighed with relief: "Then we should have gotten them all."

Sir Arthur shook his head sadly: "But at which price? Too many are injured and it's a wonder we didn't lose anybody this time. We'll leave Mori. _Now_. Sir Jecra, you'll check the engines and then we will take off." Jecra looked like he wanted to object, but Sir Arthur held up a hand. "This was an order," he said sternly, "I won't discuss this."

Jecra glared at him for a few heartbeats, then dipped his head: "Yes, Sir Arthu.r"

* * *

><p><strong>So, and another chapter^^ I'm grateful for every kind of feedback; I really want to get better and what they call English lessons here in Germany is all but helpful for someone who wants to learn something -.-"<strong>


	5. Nightmare

**I got another chapter done :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything and so on**

**Warnings: Violence and some blood**_**  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Coldness. Darkness. Where was he? He didn't know. His breath formed small clouds of haze in front of his mouth that soon disappeared in the gloom. He longed for light, but there was nothing but the cold, black darkness. He shivered; not from the cold but with fear. It flooded his body, paralyzing him. <strong>_

_'Concentrate!,' ** he told himself and managed to regain control about his body. A shuffling sound. He spun around, all his senses alert, but all he could see was darkness. He wasn't alone anymore, but who was with him now? **'If my eyes won't help me I'll have to use my other senses...,' **he thought. The shuffling grew louder; whoever was there came closer. Time was running out for him if he didn't take action soon. He forced himself to become calm. He concentrated and listened. **_

_'Left!,' **he thought and spun around. His sword, an almost invisible flash of silver in the gloom, cut through the cold air. Then it collided with something solid. A high pitched screech was heard and the sound of something – or someone – staggering backwards was heard. He smirked beneath his mask. He jumped forward and hit his opponent again before it could recover. Another screech and he heard a body falling to the ground; lifeless. **_

_**A mere heartbeat later, he froze. Steps thudded on the ground. This first opponent had been nothing more than a trap. Set up to distract him from the real danger. He turned around, but it was too late. A huge paw landed a blow on his mask, ripping it away. With a clanking sound, it disappeared into the darkness. He stumbled and fell to the ground. Just in time he rolled out of the way when the claws slammed down on the slabs beside him. **_

_**Small pieces of stone flew in his direction, cutting open his unprotected face. He winced with pain, but didn't try to run. Any sound he made would give his position away, allowing his attacker to find him. His heart bet fast, as if it tried to escape his chest. Very careful, he tried to get up without making any noise. He set his foot on a stone chip and with a cracking sound, it was crushed under his weight. It was quiet noise, barely audible, but in the silence it sounded like a whole mountain that collapsed. **_

_'Darn it!,' **he thought. Then he turned and ran into a direction of which he hoped that it led away from his opponent. A roar came from behind him. The ground started to shake when his enemy set after him. **'Maybe I can outrun it...' _

_**A second later, incredible pain soared through his body when claws connected with his face. He screamed. Blood dripped from the long gashes his attacker had caused. He was going to die, he felt it. He let another scream escape his lips, before blood loss and pain allowed him to slip into a merciful unconsciousness.**_

Meta Knight woke drenched in sweat. His breath came in short, ragged gasps and his heart bet like crazy. _'Just a dream... A memory... long gone...,' _he told himself and slowly, he became calmer. He looked around the dim lighted room he was in. He lied on a bed that was embedded into the wall.

The room had two more beds; only high-ranked GSA-members had their own room. However, since both his roommates were currently on patrol, nobody had noticed him having a nightmare. He sighed quietly and got up. There was no way he could just go back to sleep now.

He longed for the comforting sight of stars, but this room only had a small, paned opening close to the ceiling. He left the room, heading for the training room. The halls were empty except for the occasional patrol that would recognize him as GSA-soldier and let him pass. The ship had its own day-and-night-rhythm when traveling to avoid exhausting the soldiers by Jet-Lag and right now, it was night. Finally he reached the training room.

At this time, it was empty and the lights were turned off, but it didn't bother Meta Knight at all. Almost hypnotized looking, he went over to the large window. He touched the cool glass with one hand and looked outside. The stars glittered silently as if to greet him. He smiled softly, his eyes turning into a blueish violet with happiness. He allowed his mind to wander: _'Has it already been two weeks since we left Mori? And even longer since I left my master's fortress? Time passes fast...'_

He could have stayed like this forever, watching the stars while they seemed to watch over him. But suddenly, a harsh voice startled him: "What are you doing here?"

* * *

><p>"Did he get our little... reminder?"<p>

Costumer Service nodded: "Of course, master" He sat in front of the giant screen and pressed some buttons on the control panel below.

"Good", N.M.E. said and an evil grin appeared on his face, "He mustn't forget whom he should be loyal to" Costumer Service nodded, but jealousy was written on his face. Jealousy that a different creation seemed to become Nightmare's favorite instead of him.

_'Be prepared, Meta... One wrong step and I'll be there to make you fall once and for all', _he thought darkly.

* * *

><p><strong>As you might be able to tell, I don't like Costumer Service much xD<strong>

**Time to answer to the reviews! *insert annoying jingle here***

**Flamefox2: I tried to fix this problems :) And nobody is as cool as Meta; although Galacta gets close^^**

**Xtreme Nightmare: Thank you! Again, I tried to fix the text now. I always orientate on German orthography, but it's not always the same in English. (That's something they should teach in English lessons instead...)**


	6. Peace?

_He could have stayed like this forever, watching the stars while they seemed to watch over him. But suddenly, a harsh voice startled him: "What are you doing here?"_ Meta Knight turned around sharply. Galacta Knight stood in front of him, his feathered wings glowing slightly in the darkness of the training room. The pink warrior's eyes blazed with anger and distrust.

Yet Meta Knight didn't loose his calmness when he replied: "I couldn't sleep. I'm doing nothing wrong by watching the stars, right?" Galacta Knight ruffled his feathers in anger. Anger about the fact that Meta Knight indeed was authorized to be here.

"I don't trust you," Galacta Knight growled, "Something about you is fishy. And I'll find out what it is!"

_'You think so?,' _Meta Knight thought with an unseen smirk. Aloud, his voice remained calm and quiet as always when he said: "I think you forget we're I the same boat. "

"What do you mean?," Galacta Knight hissed. He clenched his fists; he longed to grab his lance and slice Meta Knight in half. _'Calm down, Galacta, calm down...'  
><em>

The blue puffball shrugged with faked wonderment: "Well, you didn't get your 'Sir' yet, right? And I haven't either. Don't you think this makes us-"

The pink Star Warrior cut him off harshly: "What I think? I think you're a traitor. A dirty, sneaky traitor!"

'_Seems like a hit a sore spot...,'_ Meta Knight thought. The blue warrior stared back at him without flinching at the rude words. "And _I _think you're misjudging me," he said, calm and serious as always. He saw how Galacta Knight's hand jerked toward his lance before the pink soldier stopped himself.

_'I won't do you this favor, Meta Knight,' _he thought, _'If I attack you now, nobody will believe me' _His ruby-red eyes turned to a deep, angry crimson. Then he sighed, suddenly looking defeated. His eye-color became a pale, almost fading red. "You tend to notice details", he said quietly.

"It seems to be a habit of mine," Meta Knight stated. They were silent for a while.

Finally, Galacta Knight spoke up: "Maybe we should try to get along better. As Sir Arthur says, trouble in our own rows will weaken our defense."

_'And you think trusting everybody would strengthen the defense?,' _Meta Knight thought and forced himself not to snicker. His eyes were fixed on Galacta Knight's face, searching for something that told him the pink warrior was trying to trick him. But he found none. _'Is he really trying to make peace with me? Fool.' _Aloud, he said: "I never wanted to be on bad terms with you" He still watched his fellow Star Warrior closely. Galacta Knight narrowed his eyes, but didn't snap at him.

"Peace?", he asked and stretched out his gloved hand. Meta Knight hesitated merely a heartbeat.

_'He might try to lull me into a false sense of security,' _he paused for a second, _'On the other hand... He probably isn't smart enough for that.' _"Peace" He took Galacta Knight's hand and shook it. For once, it wasn't Meta Knight who was smirking beneath his mask. Galacta Knight, although perfectly apologetically looking on the outside, wasn't trying to make peace.

His eyes returned to their usual scarlet color: "Seems like this is settled" He gave Meta Knight a polite nod, then turned around and left the dark room, his steps muffled by the soft floor.

* * *

><p>Time went by as the GSA-ship continued its journey through space. They headed for Galora, but Sir Arthur had decided not to use warp-speed which meant they were slower than they could have been. Days became weeks and weeks became months while the huge ship slowly floated through the galaxy. The longer they traveled, the uneasier Meta Knight grew. He was supposed to contact his master and pass on information about the GSA.<p>

If he didn't come up with an idea soon, N.M.E. might get impatient. And someone who made N.M.E. impatient couldn't expect to get away easily. So what should Meta Knight do? The solution for his problem was pure luck. It happened early in the morning, about two months after their departure from Mori. Meta Knight had been patrolling the halls in sector 2 with a ninja named Yamikage, when Sir Arthur and Sir Jecra came toward them.

Even though he couldn't see their faces under their masks he could tell they were deadly serious. _'They didn't grow suspicious about me, did they?,' _the blue puffball thought and tried not to show his nervousness. Sir Arthur murmured something to Jecra and the other soldier nodded before turning to the left and disappearing into a different hall.

The GSA-leader approached Yamikage and Meta Knight hastily: "You two, come with me" Then, he went after Jecra, leaving the patrol to follow. Meta Knight threw Yamikage a quick glance, then quickly ran after Sir Arthur. He found him and Sir Jecra talking to Galacta Knight.

He turned around when he heard the blue warrior's steps and beckoned him over: "You'll be part of the special team as well"

"Special team for what?", asked a voice from behind Meta Knight. He managed to detain himself from jumping with surprise and turned around. Yamikage, being the skilled ninja he was, had approached without any noise. Now, the black clad figure looked questioningly at Sir Arthur, arms crossed and red eyes blazing with a mixture of curiosity and... something else. Meta Knight was confused – he was a master when it came to read emotions, yet he couldn't identify the feeling that lied in Yamikage's gaze. _'This ninja is up to something...,' _he thought, before Sir Arthur's voice jerked him out of his thoughts.

"An emergency call reached us this morning. It comes from Shazi, a small, sparsely populated planet. A bunch of demon beasts attacked there. I decided to send a special team consisting of Galacta Knight, Yamikage, Sir Jecra and Meta Knight to help them", the GSA-leader explained.

Galacta Knight ruffled the feathers on his wings with anger: "What if we can't handle them? We don't even know which kind of demons we will have to face!"

The golden-armored soldier sighed: "I can't send more warriors. If this is a trap-"

"So you're using us as cannon fodder!", Galacta Knight cut him off. His eyes had turned into a deep crimson from anger.

Sir Arthur shook his head: "No. I trust you to handle the situation and – if necessary – manage to escape"

Galacta Knight continued to glare at the leader, but finally dipped his head: "Very well"

_'Loyalty... That fool is ready to risk his neck for the GSA,' _Meta Knight thought, a sly grin appearing on his face beneath his mask, _'__**And **__I can pass on some information to Nightmare' _

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own anything.<strong>

**I'm so sorry for not updating, but my LibreOffice kept freezing when I tried to save the text. Also, I'm not really happy how this chapter came out, but I rewrote it two times already and I don't think I can do better :(**_  
><em>


	7. Battles on Shazi, part 1

Meta Knight kept his eyes fixed on his comrades in front of him. Their special team was on target for Shazi. Sir Jecra and Yamikage sat in star-ships and led their group, while he and Galacta Knight flew side by side using their Warpstars. Meta Knight tried not to look down and stood on his star rather stiffly; he had never used this way of traveling before. He had an uneasy feeling about it, even though Galacta Knight had promised it was perfectly safe.

'_Yeah...Safe like riding Wolfwrath...', _he thought bitterly. The blue Star Warrior glanced at Shazi which they approached rapidly. It was encased in a cloud of dust and sand; Shazi was a desert-planet, mainly consisting of sand, dunes and rocks. In the only oasis lived a small tribe of inhabitants which were known as peaceful and defenseless, refusing any contact with other planets.

Finally they reached Shazi's atmosphere which was filled with sand. As soon as they entered it, Meta Knight lost sight of his comrades as sand blocked his view. Meta Knight squeezed his eyes shut as grains of sand hit his face painfully. Instantly, he lost his balance, tried to regain it for a few seconds, but failed and dropped off the Warpstar.

_'Darn it!,' _he thought as he fell toward the ground. His cape flapped around him and he fought the temptation to unfold his wings and stop his fall. Then, all of sudden, he connected with golden metal painfully. He gasped as the impact knocked the breath out of him, but instinctively he grabbed hold. He opened his eyes a crack and immediately had to close them again, but he had had enough time to see what had happened: His Warpstar had turned around and flown under him to catch him.

However, said Warpstar seemed to have trouble itself. It shook beneath him before simply falling down. Meta Knight landed face first in a dune, the Warpstar crashing down close to him which caused a small wave of sand to bury the blue puffball. Although the mask protected the Star Warrior from most of the grit, some of it got into his eyes and mouth. Coughing, he dug his way out of the hot, dry sand and rubbed his eyes clean.

When he had successfully freed himself, he paused for a second or two, then looked around. His belly tightened. The desert stretched out around him to the horizon. Sand, dunes, rocks. Bathed in the dim light that somehow managed to get through the sand surrounding the planet like a shell. Although there was very little light, it was hot. The heat was so intense Meta Knight was almost knocked back into the hole in the sand. None of his comrades were in sight.

_'Great, I crash-landed on some unknown planet, I'm alone and,' _he threw his damaged looking Warpstar a look, _'I don't have anything to escape from here.' _He picked himself up and staggered over to his damaged aircraft, inspecting the harm it had taken. A deep crack ran across the golden metal and a piece was missing from a tine. Meta Knight carefully reached out for it, but jerked back when the damaged star started to glow faintly. The light grew more intense and the blue Star Warrior turned his gaze away.

A bright beam of light shot into the sand-filled sky, cutting through the twilight that lied upon the planet. _'What the-?,' _he thought, backing away from the brightness. He looked around uneasily, unsure who might be allured by the light. On the other hand... Neither demon beasts nor the GSA would harm him if they found him and the inhabitants were known as defenseless and weak.

_'And at least I might be found before I'm roasted,' _he tried to see the positive side. He decided that he could as well sit down and hope for someone to find him. Sighing, he let himself drop onto the warm ground.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the rest of his team landed safely on Shazi. Sir Jecra climbed out of his star-ship and beckoned to Yamikage to get out as well. The ninja nodded curtly and stood beside Jecra a heartbeat later. The soldier had grown used to Yamikage's ability to move unseen and fast, so he wasn't surprised. A mere second later, Galacta Knight landed his Warpstar beside the two ships easily and jumped off.<p>

The golden object glowed slightly, shrunk and was attached to Galacta Knight's shoulder-plate by the pink warrior.

Jecra's brow furrowed with worry: "Where is Meta Knight?"

Galacta Knight ruffled his feathers: "I lost sight of him, but I saw his Warpstar... on its own. He must have crash-landed." Sir Jecra nodded, then scanned their surroundings. The oasis and the village inside weren't too far away, the only green spot on the otherwise bare planet.

"What are we going to do, Sir Jecra?," Galacta Knight asked impatiently as if he was itching to get into the battle with the demons.

But Jecra had different plans: "We will search for Meta Knight. A comrade comes first." The last thing was added with a warning glance toward Galacta Knight who looked like he wanted to object.

"Fine," the white-winged warrior growled, "But how-" He stopped and pointed into the distance. Yamikage and Sir Jecra turned and looked in the direction he was staring. A pillar of light rose into the sky, glowing brightly in the half-light.

"There he is," Yamikage's dark voice sounded, "His Warpstar is sending an emergency call." Sir Jecra was silent for a while and watched the blinding light.

"Lets go and collect our lost member," he said finally and started walking.

* * *

><p>Meta Knight had grown rather bored by now. <em>'What if they don't come at all?,' <em>he asked himself more than once.

His mind slowly started to wander in an attempt to distract himself. This was probably the reason he didn't notice the shaking ground. Grains of sand slowly started to stir and a deep, quiet rumble was heard. Meta Knight was jerked out of his thoughts when the ground shook so hard the Star Warrior slid down the dune he had been sitting on. He unsheathed his sword and got to his feet. For a few heartbeats, the shaking stopped and everything went silent.

Then, a giant worm shot out from the sand in a giant cloud of dust. The shock wave threw Meta Knight backwards. The huge creature rocked back and forth, only its upper half visible.

_'It's not a demon beast!,' _Meta Knight realized. His heart bet faster with fear and his grip around the hilt tightened. The worm swung its scaly head around and faced him. The Star Warrior gasped in disgust. The worm's face had two huge, black eyes, a pair of sharp-looking pincers that dripped with saliva and a giant mouth that was lined with two rows of yellow teeth. Meta Knight took a step back.

He knew what he was capable of and this worm was beyond his strength. The creature swayed back and forth, then it seemed to have located his prey. With an earsplitting screech, it jerked forward and snapped for Meta Knight. Just in time, the blue warrior rolled to the side and the worm got a mouth full of sand. Meta Knight took this opportunity and shot forward. His blade made a deep cut in the worm's body; black blood welled out and soaked the sand. The animal howled with pain and twisted around sharply.

Before Meta Knight could react, the worm struck. Burning pain exploded in his arm, when the animal dug its teeth in it. His sword fell to the ground as the worm threw him through the air. It let go and opened its ugly mouth, ready to swallow the puffball. Meta Knight could see every one of the pointy, broken teeth and felt the hot, stinking breath.

_'So this is my end...,' _he thought, almost ready to accept his fate. A flash of gold in the corner of his eye caught his attention – the Warpstar! It had mostly regenerated itself, dived into the air and caught Meta Knight. The warrior clung to the golden metal, his heart still beating fast with panic. The Warpstar carried him away from the worm, just in time before it closed its jaws.

* * *

><p>"Did you hear that?," Galacta Knight asked.<p>

Sir Jecra stopped and listened: "What?"

"A... rumble...," Galacta Knight murmured. They stood silent for a while; another rumble was heard.

Yamikage unsheathed his thin, silver blade: "Something isn't right."

Suddenly, Jecra gasped: "Look!" They followed his outstretched finger and saw... nothing. The pillar of light was gone. A high-pitched screech was heard.

"Meta Knight is in trouble," Jecra growled, "We have to move a bit faster or he's done for."

Galacta Knight unfolded his wings: "I'll help him." Without waiting for Jecra's approval, he took off, leaving Yamikage and Sir Jecra to follow.

* * *

><p>Meta Knight was indeed in trouble. His sword lied somewhere in the sand, out of his reach and the Warpstar was still weak. Furthermore, his arm was injured badly and the worm grew angrier and angrier. The Warpstar juddered and tilted over, almost flinging off the injured Star Warrior.<p>

_'Don't let me down now...,' _he pleaded silently. Suddenly, the worm twisted its head and although the golden star tried to dodge, it hit the golden metal. Meta Knight tried to grab hold on the Warpstar, but his injured arm was too weak and he landed on the ground. The worm howled triumphantly and prepared to strike.

_'I'm done for...,' _the Star Warrior thought.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't own anything :)<strong>

**This was a rather long chapter for my standards, wasn't it? Almost two sheets in LibreOffice^^**

**Anyways, please, please, please review! **

**Found a word that doesn't sound right? Any kind of error? TELL ME! Please...  
><strong>


	8. Battles on Shazi, part 2

Meta Knight tried to grab hold on the Warpstar, but his injured arm was too weak and he landed on the ground. The worm howled triumphantly and prepared to strike. _'I'm done for...,' _the Star Warrior thought. He closed his eyes and expected the worm's teeth to dig into his flesh at any second.

Instead, he heard the sound of ripping scales and a pain-filled screech. He opened his eyes and saw how the worm wreathed and snapped for something white and magenta. "Galacta Knight!," Meta Knight gasped. The hot pink warrior flew around the worm's head, sending out beams of pink light with his lance that cut through his opponent's skin. At Meta Knight's call he turned around.

"Get out of here!," he growled, "I'll take care of that critter!" He turned back to the animal, just in time to dodge the pincers of the worm.

_'He's risking his foolish neck for me!,'_ Meta Knight thought in astonishment and got up on shaky legs. He made a few uncertain steps away from the battle. He knew he had no chance to defeat that worm, but something deep inside him refused to leave Galacta Knight to fight for himself. The worm gave another howl and this time it seemed to have caught the pink Star Warrior; his body was thrown in the sand in front of Meta Knight. Galacta was bleeding from several cuts, but he got up instantly.

"Get a move on, Meta Knight," he hissed, "I'm not risking my life to let you get killed because you're too stubborn to run!" Meta Knight opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again.

_'Why __**don't **__I run?,' _he asked himself puzzled.

"Careful!" Galacta Knight pushed him back just before the worm's teeth hit the spot where they had been standing a mere second earlier. Meta Knight landed face first in a dune. He scrambled to his feet when his foot touched something solid. He looked down. His sword! He picked it up – luckily enough the worm had injured his left arm, not his right, so he could hold the blade without trouble. He sped forward; the steel of his sword collided with the worm's body with a sickening noise. The creature shrieked and spun around, aiming its next blow at the blue warrior.

Galacta Knight took his chance and send out another lance-beam that cut off one of the pincers. Black blood sprayed over the two soldiers as the battle continued. The worm was blind with fury and pain, striking without aiming for anything. One of its powerful blows hit Galacta Knight and the pink warrior fell to the ground like a stone, hissing with pain.

Meta Knight dodged another blind blow and rushed over: "You okay?"

"Do I look like I was?," Galacta Knight growled. One of his wings hung limply on the ground, obviously broken. The worm seemed to realize that they had problems and struck again. The Star Warriors dove out of the way and fought the creature back-to-back. They made a surprisingly good team, moving in perfect unison. Lance and sword lashed out, cutting the worm's belly open.

"Sword beam!," Meta Knight yelled at the same time as Galacta Knight shouted: "Lance beam!"

Two beams, one pink and one silver, hit the animal and finished it off. With a last earsplitting yowl, the giant body collapsed in the sand. Its black blood leaked on the ground, staining the sand dark. Both Star Warriors were panting heavily. Galacta Knight was the first to recover. He walked over to the dead creature and carefully poked it with the tip of his lance.

"A demon beast," he stated casually.

_'No...,' _Meta Knight thought, _'I know every demon beast N.M.E. ever created and this thing isn't one' _Aloud, he said: "I don't think it is..."

Galacta Knight turned around sharply: "How would you know that?" Knowing that he had to make up something fast, the blue Star Warrior cursed himself silently for being so incautious.

"Well?," Galacta Knight asked, his ruby colored eyes glowing with distrust.

Then it hit Meta Knight: "This... thing is bleeding. Demon beasts consist of dark matter, hold together by black magic. They don't bleed."

_'Most of them...,' _he thought and threw his injured arm a look. The blood had started to dry already, forming a crust on the teeth marks the worm's fangs had left.

"Are you okay?," a voice called and the two warriors spun around. Sir Jecra and Yamikage approached them rapidly. They stopped when they saw the dead worm.

Galacta Knight made his way over to the newcomers: "It gave us a hard time, but we brought it down eventually."

Sir Jecra nodded contentedly and said: "One less demon to take care of. Maybe the rest of them simply leaves when they see what happened to thei-"

"No," Meta Knight said, "As I told Galacta Knight, this isn't a demon. It has blood and demons don't." Silence followed.

"Then," Yamikage said, "we have to be twice as careful. The demons might think we are weakened by this battle." All four warriors scanned their surroundings carefully, but there were no signs of an ambush. However, they remained tense and alert.

"You're injured," Sir Jecra murmured, "We better take care of those wounds before we have to fight again." He looked Galacta's wing and Meta Knight's arm over carefully.

"We don't have anything to patch them up," Yamikage said, "They'll have to cope with their wounds for now." The ninja's voice was cold and emotionless as if he didn't really care.

Galacta Knight examined his broken wing. "It should be okay," he said, "but we should head for that village now. Demon beasts like the night..." His voice trailed off and the group looked up to the sky simultaneously. Unnoticed by them, the light had dimmed, a sure sign the day was over.

Sir Jecra straightened up: "We better get going."

Meta Knight picked up his Warpstar which had shrunk back to its usual size and attached it to his shoulder-plate. "I'm ready," he said. And together, the group set off toward the oasis.

* * *

><p>By the time they reached the shady palm trees, night had fallen. "It's too dark to see the hand in front of your face," Galacta Knight grumbled. He had turned rather annoying; losing his ability to fly irritated him horribly. Meta Knight held back a sharp remark and slowed down until he walked beside Jecra.<p>

The other soldier chuckled. "He doesn't mean it," he said, "But he's used to fly... It's a part of him and now this part was taken and he doesn't know how to cope with that." Meta Knight nodded slowly to show he understood. Suddenly, Jecra stopped.

Meta Knight followed his gaze and stopped as well: "Oh my..." In front of them lied the village – or what was left from it. The huts had been brunt to the ground; several small fires were dotted all over the place and bathed the place in an eerie light.

"We're too late," Jecra said silently, his voice thick with grief.

"And whose fault is it?," sounded an angry voice. It had been Galacta Knight's; the Star Warrior glared at Meta with open hostility. The blue warrior clenched his fists and was about to snap at the pink soldier, when Jecra stepped in between them.

"We have not time to quarrel now," he said sharply, "Lets look for survivors instead." And with that he went over to the ruins of a hut and started digging in the burnt wood. Galacta Knight threw Meta a last glare, then he joined Jecra in his search. His broken wing trailed over the ash-covered ground, leaving a faint trace in the dust. Meta looked after him, eyes tinted scarlett, before starting to search as well.

_*Snap*_ A sudden noise made the blue Star Warrior freeze. The others must have heard it as well, they stopped what they were doing and looked up. With a whizzing sound, a shuriken passed by Meta Knight. It missed him only a mere inch and hit something behind him. A shriek was heard and suddenly they were surrounded by demons. Houndreds of red eyes glowed in the dark.

_'Daseki... I should have known N.M.E. would send them,' _Meta Knight thought and scanned the area. The Daseki were small, bat-like creatures with long fangs. They could breath fire to fight their opponents and usually attacked in groups. A single individual wasn't smart enough to think, talk or even avoid a sword. It was the group that made them deadly enemies.

_'And the group-leader, the only one with intelligence,' _the blue puffball thought and tried to make out which one was the leader. If he managed to find him, he might be able to give him a message for Nightmare.

The Daseki were closing in on them, forcing the GSA-soldiers to stand back-to-back. Then they attacked. Dozens and dozens of the tiny creatures struck at once. Blades – and a lance – flashed and the first enemies fell dead to the ground, but a second wave of opponents threw themselves at them. Sharp fangs dug into Meta Knight's skin, making him wince with pain. However, he knew that the real trouble would start when the Daseki started to breath fire. His sword sliced another Daseki in half, the one which had bitten his arm.

_'We don't stand a chance...,' _he thought while Galacta Knight shrieked in pain when four Daseki attacked his injured wing. Jecra, who had been separated from the rest, fought six Daseki at once. A quick glance to the side showed Meta that Yamikage had no trouble to ward the bat-like creatures. His silver blade flashed when he moved it so fast it was hardly more than a blur. Meta Knight brought down another one of the attackers and paused for a few seconds.

_'Find the leader,'_ he reminded himself, _'Or the battle is lost.' _ He scanned the battlefield. The Daseki attacked in waves and the waves started...

_'There,' _he thought and smirked under his mask. In the center of the Daseki was one demon that didn't move at all. The leader. Meta Knight ducked and crawled beneath the Daseki toward the leader. He could hear his comrades call for him in worry when they lost sight of him, but the blue warrior didn't react. He needed to act fast. Repelling an attacking Daseki, he finally reached his target.

He grabbed the leader by the wings and pulled him down to him. It struggled in his grasp and tried to bite him, but Meta Knight was stronger. "Stop that!," he growled, "I have a message for Nightmare!"

The demon immediately stopped writhing and smirked: "And you hope I will pass it on?"

"No," Meta Knight said sternly and held his sword up to the Daseki's throat, "You _will_ pass it on." His eyes turned red with anger and the leader knew better than objecting.

"The GSA is heading for Galora. And they seem to have trouble amongst themselves... If Nightmare is searching for a weak spot, Galacta Knight is a good choice," Meta Knight said quickly, "Understood?"

The Daseki nodded and growled: "I'm not stupid."

Meta Knight let got off him: "Then you will gather your troops now and leave." He got up and lashed out for a Daseki that had tried to sneak up on him from behind.

"That wasn't necessary," the leader growled as the body dropped dead to the ground, "I'll leave." With a satisfied nod, Meta Knight crawled back to his comrades and continued to fight.

"Where have you been?," Galacta Knight asked, eyes crimson with anger. Meta Knight didn't answer and continued to fight.

"They're retreating!," Jecra called. The Daseki slowly turned around and fled.

_'If he knew,' _Meta Knight thought and could barely hold back a snicker. Soon, their enemies were gone for good. The four warriors stood alone in the burnt down village.

Sir Jecra was the first to speak; he narrowed his eyes in suspicion: "That was too easy. I fought this kind of demon before and they usually don't give in before they are all killed."

"Whatever," Galacta Knight murmured, "We should be grateful we got away." The pink warrior swayed slightly. He was bleeding from several wounds and Meta Knight was impressed he managed to stay upright at all. _'He is indeed a strong warrior...,' _the blue puffball thought, watching the winged soldier.

Jecra sighed: "Lets head back to the star-ships. We accomplished our mission, the demons are gone." He turned around and left. The rest of his team looked over the deserted battlefield a last time, then followed him.

* * *

><p><strong>So far the longest chapter I have written oô<strong>

**As usual, I own nothing. Reviews would be great since I had to look up many words in the dictionary for this chapter. So I'm not sure if all of them fit :/ **


	9. Waddle Dees, secrets and remorse

When Sir Jecra's team returned to the main ship, Sir Arthur and a couple of other soldiers expected them already. The GSA-leader's gaze was clouded with worry. "Have you been successful?," he asked as soon as Jecra left his star ship.

The soldier nodded: "Just a group of Daseki and some worm-animal. But we were too late. The village was destroyed already – no survivors." Jecra's voice remained calm and emotionless while he reported to Sir Arthur what had happened. The golden-armored soldier nodded. If he was saddened by the news, he didn't show it.

"Any injuries?," he asked and his eyes scanned Galacta Knight, Meta Knight and Yamikage who stood behind Jecra. Before anyone could react, the ninja simply ignored them and stalked away, disappearing into the ship. No one stopped him, knowing he wasn't too fond of company.

Finally, Jecra tore his gaze from the dark figure and answered Sir Arthur's question: "Minor cuts, a bite on Meta Knight's arm and Galacta Knight got a broken wing."

Sir Arthur nodded, then turned to the two Star Warriors: "Go and let yourself get patched up." The two warriors nodded respectfully and left.

* * *

><p>While walking down the halls toward the medical sector – slowed down by Galacta Knight who could barely walk – Meta Knight tried to separate his feelings. Of course he was relieved that he had not only survived the encounter with the worm, but also had passed on some information to N.M.E. which should stop his master from getting angry. But for some reason, he also felt triumphant.<p>

They had won the battle against the Daseki, shouldn't he feel bad about this? The Daseki stood on Nightmare's side and he did as well.

_'Or do I?,' _he thought. Hadn't he stayed to fight instead of letting Galacta Knight fight on his own? A second later he shook his head in shock; he wasn't supposed to think things like this! If N.M.E. found out...

"Are you coming?," asked an impatient voice and jerked him out of his thoughts. Looking up, Meta Knight realized he had slowed down while thinking. Galacta Knight waited for him a few meters ahead, tapping his foot on the metal floor impatiently.

Meta Knight felt his face grow hot with a trace of embarrassment: "Sorry." He quickly picked up his pace and was soon at Galacta's side again. Together they set off toward the medical sector.

"You're strange, Meta Knight," Galacta stated, watching the blue puffball closely.

Meta's heart skipped a beat, but his tone was unreadable when he answered: "What makes you think that?" The pink warrior shrugged and winced when it caused a wave of pain to shoot through his body.

"You have been fighting that worm-thing and a whole lot of Daseki," he started, "You're bleeding and even your Warpstar took damage... But your cape is just fine."

Meta Knight hesitated only a second before answering: "That's indeed strange. But things aren't always logical, are they?"

Galacta nodded and was silent. _'What a luck he didn't notice my cape was torn after the battle,' _Meta Knight thought. Since his cape was actually the alternate form for his wings, it regenerated itself just like the wings did. If Galacta Knight had noticed that, he surely would have grown suspicious. _'At least more suspicious than he is already,' _he added silently.

"You're hanging behind again." For the second time, Meta Knight tore himself free from his thoughts.

"I'm coming," he murmured and hurried to catch up.

Galacta Knight chuckled: "If I didn't know better, I would say you're asleep at the switch." Meta Knight was glad that they reached the door to the medical section now, so he didn't have to reply. The door hissed open and they entered. Meta Knight scanned his surroundings carefully; he saw this part of the ship for the very first time.

White. That was his first impression. White light, white walls, white floor. His gaze traveled farther; curtains – of course they were white – hid several beds from his sight. The sound of tiny footsteps drew his attention from the bright furniture on a small creature. It looked a bit like a puffball; only it was smaller, orange and had a pale face. Two black eyes blinked up at them as the little thing dipped its head to the side questioningly. If it had had a mouth it probably would have asked what they were doing here.

Meta Knight felt the sudden temptation to shift uncomfortably, but before he could give in to that, Galacta Knight spoke. He seemed to know this creature; his tone was gentle, something Meta hadn't heard often. "Hello, Waddle Dee," the white-winged warrior said, "Sir Arthur sent us."

The creature - Waddle Dee – seemed to understand. It nodded and staggered off. Meta Knight turned to Galacta: "What was _that_?" The pink warrior chuckled, winced when it hurt him and said: "A Waddle Dee. The GSA-ship picked them up on a destroyed planet after a battle. Since then, they sort of run the show here – amazingly skilled, these Waddle Dees." His blue companion rose a non-existent brow, but before he could ask further questions, the Waddle Dee returned.

Several more of his species followed him. They signaled with their short, stumpy arms to follow them. Galacta Knight didn't hesitate and let three of them lead him behind one of the curtains. Meta Knight looked uneasily down on the three Waddle Dees that had stayed. They waited patiently for him to follow them. Something about them made Meta feel very awkward, although he wasn't sure what it was.

_'Maybe it's just because they don't talk...,' _he tried to reassure himself. He made a hesitant step and immediately, the three Dees started moving as well. He followed them behind a second curtain and obeyed when the beckoned him to sit down on the bed. The little creatures busily swarmed around him, cleaned his wounds, stitched the bite on his arm and wrapped bandages around the worst injuries.

_'They're definitely skilled... and fast,' _Meta Knight thought, inspecting the careful made knots on the white fabric. The Waddle Dees stepped back and looked at him expectantly.

"Uh... thank you?," Meta Knight tried. Carefully, he rose from the bed. The Waddle Dees turned around and left.

_'Strange little guys...,' _he thought and shook his head in confusion. He set off toward the door, but stopped after a few steps. Galacta Knight was still behind the curtain; Meta Knight could see his outline on the white fabric. But something was odd... He couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but it piqued his curiosity and so he sneaked toward the curtain.

His footsteps hardly made any sound on the tiled ground and he wasn't noticed while he rounded the curtain and looked at the scenario before him. His eyes flashed white for a brief second. Galacta Knight didn't have his wings! Instead, a white cape flowed over the bed behind him. A Waddle Dee was carefully repairing a long rip. 

_'The equivalent for his broken bone,' _Meta Knight thought, _'That proves that Galacta is at least partly a demon... But how is that possible?' _

He shook his head. For now, he'd have to go – he didn't have the time to stay any longer or the Waddle Dees and their patient might notice him. He made a cautious step backwards. And instantly felt something sharp pressed against his back. A hissing sound of surprise escaped his lips and Galacta Knight and the Waddle Dees looked up. The sharp thing in his back forced Meta Knight to go forward; from the corner of his eyes he could see it was a Waddle Dee with a spear.

"What is the meaning of this?," Meta Knight asked sharply, meaning both the hostile Waddle Dees and Galacta's wings. The pink warrior rose slowly. He nodded toward the Waddle Dees and the spear was removed from his back.

"So you know my little... secret," Galacta Knight said – it wasn't a question, it was a statement. Meta Knight nodded, his hand resting atop the hilt of his sword. Galacta Knight's eyes shone in a deep scarlet. Meta Knight wasn't sure what the pink soldier was feeling.

Said warrior hesitated a few seconds, then said: "And you know what it means?"

Meta Knight nodded again: "You're partly a demon." Galacta Knight flinched at this words, but affirmed this.

The Waddle Dee finished sewing the white cape and jumped off the bed. Galacta Knight thanked him and transformed the cape back into his feathered wings. Then he continued: "The GSA found me as a baby and raised me. Even when Sir Arthur found out what I was... am. He never told anyone."

"So you don't know where you come from?," Meta Knight dug deeper. Galacta Knight carefully folded his wings, then shook his head.

_'A demon with Star Warrior blood, serving in the GSA. N.M.E. has concealed this little detail from me... Or does he even know?'_ Meta Knight's eyes searched Galacta's. The pink warrior's gaze was sharpened with a mixture of worry and anger.

"What will you do now?," he asked, his red eyes burning in Meta Knight's golden ones. There was a long pause.

"If Sir Arthur knows already, I see no reason why I should give your secret away," Meta Knight said finally. _'I already sold you out to Nightmare by telling the Daseki you're a weak spot. What more could I do?' _Beneath his mask, Meta Knight's lips parted in an evil grin.

Then again, even while doing so, a small voice in his mind told him that he had done something wrong. It was accompanied by a feeling he hadn't had ever before. It felt like a small tug in his heart, a moment of uncertainty. Remorse.

He shook his head rapidly and the feeling disappeared.

Galacta Knight gave a brief nod: "Thank you."

Meta Knight nodded as well, turned around sharply and left. The Waddle Dees parted in front of him, allowing him to pass. The door closed behind the blue puffball and left the pink Star Warrior alone with the Waddle Dees.

Galacta looked after Meta, his eyes tinted crimson. _'Maybe you know what I am, Meta Knight. But I will find out which dark secrets you harbor and then...'_


	10. High Prince of Galora

The following night – if you could you call it that in space – Meta Knight lied awake in his bed. To be honest, he didn't _need _sleep at all. It wouldn't hurt him to stay awake forever, although he could fall asleep on command; it was rather suspicious if a soldier didn't sleep at all.

However, in this particular night, Meta Knight didn't manage to slip into this state of subconscious. Thoughts raced through his mind as he shifted from side to side uncomfortably. Where did Galacta Knight come from? If he – or at least a part of him – was a demon, then why wasn't he serving Nightmare? Had the Meta Knight's master thrown the pink warrior away? But if a demon didn't work the way it should, N.M.E. killed it; everyone knew that.

Meta sighed. _'So many questions... And no answers,' _he thought with another sigh.

A grunt came from the other side of the room: "I'm trying to sleep, so be quiet!" Meta Knight muttered an apology, but got no answer. He sighed a third time as the questions returned and tumbled through his head again. A groan was heard and in the bed to his left appeared a head that was surrounded by a cloud of tousled, pale silver hair.

"I told you to be quiet!," the head growled.

"I'm sorry, Kimu," Meta Knight said, sitting up. The GSA-recruit rubbed his eyes: "You're either quiet now, or you leave." With out another word, Kimu buried himself in his blankets again, pulling them over his head. Meta Knight watched the knoll in the bed that Kimu's body formed now; it rose and fell slightly with the youngster's breath. Careful not to disturb the silver-haired boy again, Meta Knight turned around and faced the wall.

For a second he thought about leaving the room as Kimu had suggested, but then decided against it. Suppressing the fourth sigh, he finally managed to push back his troubled thoughts and shift into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

><p>The next day brought a pleasant surprise: Their journey was coming to an end. Planet Galora was only a few light-years away and with Warp Speed they soon reached it. When they finally began their descend over said planet, all soldiers that weren't busy gathered behind the huge windows of the training room and looked down on the planet.<p>

It looked beautiful, prospering with life like the war in the rest of the universe didn't exist. Meta Knight had joined them and let his gaze travel over Galora's beautiful landscape. His eyes flashed in several colors, showing the mix of emotions that passed him. Galora was resisting Nightmare's troops successfully; if he, Meta Knight, found a way behind its defenses, wouldn't N.M.E. reward him? This was a chance he wouldn't get again.

His eyes flashed red with menace for barely a split second. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around.

Sir Jecra stood there: "Are you okay?"

_'Did he notice?,' _Meta Knight asked himself and chose his next words carefully. "I just wondered how a single planet can defend itself so well against Nightmare...," he muttered and let his voice fade away.

Jecra gave a low chuckle: "You will see." He went away, probably to join Sir Arthur in the control room.

* * *

><p>The GSA-ship gently landed on the town square of Galora's capital city. The ship's gate opened slowly. The Galorians had gathered on the place, forming a great circle around the GSA's ship. All soldiers had lined up behind the gate, Sir Arthur standing in front of them.<p>

With slow steps, the golden-armored puffball exited the ship and went across the town square. His metal shoes made clicking noises on the cobblestone pavement. The Galorians parted and a figure emerged from their rows. It was a puffball, white with gray feet and a sky-blue cape. His armor and mask had gems embedded into them.

Meta Knight noticed how clean and unscratched they looked, like the one wearing them had never used them in a fight. The white puffball approached Sir Arthur quickly and stopped a few meters away from him.

"Sir Arthur," he said.

"Your majesty," Sir Arthur replied. Silence. Then, suddenly, a chuckle came from Arthur.

"You didn't change at all," the white puffball said, chuckling as well.

"Neither did you, Blizzard," Arthur stated and closed the distance between them, "You're still the same big brother."

Blizzard laughed, his white eyes glittering mischievously. "I don't change, you know," his voice was bright with joy. Then, his eyes traveled over to the open gate of the ship; the soldiers hadn't moved at all. Blizzard went over to them.

With his arms outstretched, he addressed them solemnly: "As the High Prince of Galora, I welcome you all on this planet." He looked at them expectantly, but none of them spoke up.

Meta Knight stood among them, eying Blizzard closely. _'A bit stuck-up, that prince...' _

A mere heartbeat after he thought this, Blizzard shrugged: "All these formalities... Why don't you just get out of that ship and join me for lunch?" Several of the older warriors chuckled at this and finally, the soldiers moved out of the ship.

* * *

><p>Meta Knight stood on top of the battlement of Blizzard's palace, face toward the huge building. He stood on the outer defense wall, to be precise. Night had fallen and the stars glittered far above his head, only excelled by the full moon. Its pale light bathed the palace-garden in silver, making plants and paths look like they were made out of starlight.<p>

Meta Knight's gaze rested on the windows of the palace. The other soldiers were in there, either sleeping in one of the guestrooms or chatting with the Galorians in the refectory. Meta Knight had left as soon as he got the chance. He didn't like that High Prince much; the flawless armor, the closeness with Sir Arthur, his whole existence was annoying to the blue warrior. If this guy really was the only thing that kept Nightmare from taking over Galora, it shouldn't be too hard for Meta to get rid of him.

A sudden rustle startled him. His eyes scanned the plants of the garden, but he only found dark silence. _'I'm getting paranoid,' _he thought, shook his head slightly and froze when a second rustle became audible.

"Who's there?," he asked, his hand laying on the hilt of his sword, "Show yourself!" No answer.

There was brief silence, and then a pale flash flew at him. Meta Knight dodged and unsheathed his sword, prepared for a battle. A blade cut through the nocturnal air, aiming for the unprotected area between Meta Knight's golden eyes. Instinctively, Meta Knight dipped his head and the weapon collided with the metal of his mask. The impact sent a wave of pain through his body, making him gasp.

Just in time, he managed to dodge a second blow. The sword hit the battlement behind him. Meta saw his chance and spun around, creating a sword beam. To his surprise, his attacker easily blocked the beam. His amazement for this almost cost him another hit. Just in time, he brought his sword up to block the blow. Sparks flew as the blades collided. His attacker showed impossible power and pushed him backwards.

Meta felt his feet slip and a second later, he fell off the battlement. He landed on soft grass and instantly rolled away. A heartbeat later, his opponent's blade dug into the lawn where he had landed. Meta Knight knew it would take his attacker some time to pull it out again and dove forward. He was about to create a sword beam, but a foot kicking him on the unprotected spot beside his mask threw him backwards.

He jerked his sword up and the blades clashed a second time. Sweat burned on his forehead as he tried to hold out against the pressure his opponent put on their swords. Suddenly, Meta Knight's attacker moved his weapon with incredible speed. The blue Star Warrior lost his grip and his sword landed somewhere in the bushes. His opponent came closer, sword aimed at the spot between Meta's eyes.

The GSA-soldier walked backwards slowly. He stumbled when his left heel hit a rock and fell down. The cool touch of metal on his forehead kept him from moving. His opponent towered him, looking triumphant.

"Not bad."

Meta Knight couldn't believe his ears. Had his attacker just said that? His confusion grew when the figure sheathed its sword and offered him a hand. Ignoring this, Meta got up on his own.

"Who are you?," he growled, itching to have his sword.

"So you don't recognize me?," came the amused answer and a second later, a candle was lit. Meta Knight shut his eyes from the sudden brightness and when he opened them again, he practically gaped.

"Bliz- pardon, you majesty?," he asked, stunned.

Blizzard put the candle in a lantern beside him and chuckled: "No need to call me that. I'm Blizzard; Sir Blizzard Knight if you want to be that precise."

"A Star Warrior?"

Blizzard only nodded.

_'That would explain why N.M.E. has problems to capture Galora...' _

The High Prince picked up something from the grass. The blade of Meta Knight's sword flashed in the light. Blizzard inspected it with an experienced look.

"It's not a usual sword...," Blizzard muttered and looked up sharply, "Where did you get it?"

"I found it," Meta lied calmly. Truth was, Nightmare himself had given the sword to him, but Blizzard mustn't find that out. "A dead demon had it before," he added. Blizzard gave the sword a last look, then flipped it around and carefully held it by the tip of the blade, offering Meta the hilt.

"Thank you, Sir," the blue Star Warrior said and put it back into its scabbard.

The white puffball looked at him thoughtfully: "I see what Arthur meant... You have great talent, indeed... But you lack training, as our little fight showed."

"Pardon?"

Blizzard sat down on the soft grass and signaled Meta to do the same. When they both sat on the green stalks, the High Prince explained: "You have great instincts. You know how to react in an unexpected situation." He stopped for a moment and watched a small beetle crawl over some leaves.

"Aren't you going to thank me for this compliment?," he asked, a small smile on his white lips.

But Meta Knight had assessed Blizzard's character by now: "You aren't finished yet."

Galora's Prince nodded, looking satisfied: "Indeed. You learn fast. You still make a few mistakes... Such as forgetting that one can defend oneself even when you disarmed him or her." Meta nodded, remembering how Blizzard had kicked him. The spot still pounded painfully. Blizzard went on with telling him what mistakes he had made, but Meta Knight didn't listen.

_'If not even I can defeat that guy, then the other demons have no chance... But if I manage to lure him into a trap...'_

The flash of a blade aimed at him jerked him away from his thoughts. He dodged and the sword missed him about an inch.

"You better pay attention when I talk to you," Blizzard said. His tone was kind, but there was an edge in his voice that told Meta not to object.

"I'm sorry," he said, "My thoughts sort of... drifted off."

Blizzard nodded: "Well, you better keep you mind focused tomorrow. I'll expect you and Galacta Knight after lunch for some extra Star Warrior training. Here in the palace garden; you're better there on time." Without waiting for a reply, the white puffball got to his feet, gave Meta a curt nod and walked back to the palace.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't own Meta Knight, Sir Arthur or the GSA, they belong to their respective owners.<strong>

**Blizzard and planet Galora belong to Flamefox2.**

**Kimu is mine, though :)**

**Reviews would be great... I didn't even get one for the last three chapters, although my traffic stats show how many people are actually reading this. It's not that hard to press the button below and give me some feedback, is it? ;)**


	11. The winged warrior

The sun shone brightly the next day. Just as Blizzard had requested, Meta Knight and Galacta Knight had gone to the palace garden after lunch. The one who didn't show up was Blizzard. They had been waiting for almost an hour now, but neither of them dared to leave and search for the white prince.

"I'm so _bored_," Galacta Knight groaned. He sat in front of a tree, leaning his back against the trunk. He was polishing his lance with a piece of cloth and was indeed really bored. He tipped his head back and looked up. Above his head, on the lowest branch of the tree, stood Meta Knight and stared into the distance.

"I'm bored," Galacta repeated when Meta didn't even move a muscle.

"I know."

"Then do something!," Galacta demanded, standing up.

Meta Knight's eyes flashed purple in amusement and he replied: "Why should I?" Galacta Knight huffed angrily and spread his wings; a few wing beats were enough to bring him at eye level with the blue Star Warrior.

"How can you be _not _bored?," he asked.

Meta chuckled: "When did I say I wasn't bored?"

"So you're bored as well, lets do someth-"

"I never said I was bored," Meta Knight cut him off. That was too much for Galacta Knight. Growling, he dove forward and pushed Meta Knight off his branch. The blue puffball easily twisted in the air and landed safely on his feet. Without any signs of aggression, Meta sat down, leaned against the trunk and continued to stare into the distance.

Galacta Knight landed beside him and folded his wings: "That was no fun..." Meta shrugged, but didn't answer. A rustle in the bushes behind them made the pink warrior jump.

With his lance pointed at the shaking leaves, the hot pink warrior demanded: "Who's there? Show yourself!"

_'Too bad you don't know Blizzard yet...,' _Meta Knight thought and slowly got up. The leaves shook harder and the High Prince of Galora emerged from the branches. Galacta Knight, who didn't realize who it was, dove forward with a battle cry. But Blizzard had good instincts and swiftly blocked the lance with his sword. This took the pink Star Warrior by surprise and he staggered backwards.

Sir Blizzard Knight chuckled and sheathed his gem encrusted sword: "A bit hot-headed, aren't you?" Galacta Knight growled something, but he kept his voice low; he respected the High Prince after all.

Blizzard stepped closer and said in a cheerful voice: "I didn't startle you, did I?" He didn't even wait for anyone to answer and went on: "Lets get started, shall we?" Both Meta and Galacta nodded and the white puffball unsheathed his sword again. The gems glittered in the sun as the flawless steel was hit by the bright light. Blizzard explained: "You two will work together and try to get me unarmed. _I _will try to block your attacks and get your weapons."

Meta Knight looked toward Galacta. The pink warrior's eyes were fixed on the white one's; Meta could see how his hand was clamped around the hilt of his lance. For a split second Galacta Knight turned and locked eyes with Meta Knight. Both nodded, a silent agreement passing between them and they dove forward.

Blizzard stepped aside, but Galacta spun around and struck. Blizzard quickly shifted position and the lance hit the metal of his armor. Seeing the white puffball distracted, Meta Knight took the opportunity and jumped at Blizzard, sword risen. But he had underestimated the High Prince again. Blizzard Knight brought up his own blade and the weapons clashed. The High Prince of Galora made a fast move and Meta's sword was hurtled away.

The metallic blade hit a near tree and was stuck in the bark. Now unarmed, Meta Knight stumbled backwards and when Blizzard kicked him, he couldn't defend himself. The white Star Warrior aimed for the point just below the protection of Meta Knight's mask. The blue warrior suppressed a gasp of pain and was thrown backwards. He hit a tree trunk painfully, his head growing dizzy from the impact.

After a few seconds, he managed to straighten himself and watched how Galacta Knight fought Blizzard with the skill of long experience in battle. Lance and sword seemed to dance together, hardly more than blurs of pink and silver. Finally Galacta Knight jerked up his lance, hitting Blizzard's sword from below and forcing the white warrior to let go of the hilt. The gem encrusted weapon flew through the air and hit the same tree as Meta Knight's. It dug itself into the rough bark a few inches above the blue warrior's sword, quivering slightly.

Galacta Knight held his lance aimed between Blizzard's eyes, not dropping his guard yet. Blizzard nodded approvingly: "That was good. I wonder why Arthur didn't give you your 'Sir' yet..." His voice trailed off and he looked at the pink warrior expectantly, but Galacta Knight shrugged.

"He has his reasons," he said. Meta Knight noticed how the winged warrior had tensed up.

_'So Sir Arthur doesn't trust that half-demon after all,'_ he thought and reached for the hilt of his sword... Only to be remembered that it was stuck in the wood of a tree. He went across the lawn, grabbed the sword's hilt and pulled it out. It left a deep cut in the bark. _'It looks a bit like Urille...,' _he thought, remembering the old demon beast that had died in battle a long time; they hadn't been close or anything, but somehow he remembered him now.

"Daydreaming?," asked a voice from behind him and he spun around. Blizzard had come for his sword as well and now eyed the blue puffball with a risen eyebrow. Meta Knight shrugged.

Blizzard looked at him suspiciously for a few more seconds, then turned away: "As long as you are ready for the next lesson." Meta followed the white puffball back to the spot where Galacta Knight stood. The hot pink warrior leaned on his lance and played with a feather from his wings, clearly enjoying his success.

"For the next lesson," Blizzard instructed, "I want you to fight each other. No serious injuries, but with the intention to get the other's weapon. Any questions?" Both Star Warriors shook their heads and went into position. Meta Knight clamped his hand around the hilt of his weapon and waited for Galacta Knight to make the first move.

He knew the pink warrior would attack him from behind if he, Meta, attacked first. Galacta seemed to be oblivious to the blue warrior's thoughts and ran forward; his lance aimed at the spot Blizzard had hit earlier. Meta jumped into the air and felt the drift the white winged warrior caused when he raced by beneath Meta.

_'Now,'_ he thought and let himself drop. He landed on top of Galacta Knight, making the pink warrior stumble. Just in time, Galacta rose his shield and blocked a blow from Meta Knight's sword. His wings flapped wildly and he managed to throw the blue warrior off him. Meta lied in the grass for a split second and expected Galacta to attack, but for some reason, he didn't.

The blue puffball came to his feet and lance and sword clashed with sparks flying from the metal. _'He's holding back,' _Meta Knight realized when Galacta merely blocked his blows, _'But why? He doesn't seem to-' _

His thoughts were cut off when the magenta colored lance missed him about an inch. It would have been a dangerous move for Meta, but it wasn't aimed properly. He looked up and searched Galacta's eyes. They had turned into deep crimson color like there was a plan Meta didn't know of.

Their weapons clashed again and again, but then, Meta spotted a weak point in Galacta's defense; and struck. His blade avoided the shield and hit the mask. A small yelp came from Galacta Knight when he was hit.

With his "opponent" distracted, Meta Knight easily unarmed the pink warrior. Galacta Knight rose his hands to show he was beaten: "You win."

Blizzard walked towards them: "That was really good," he gave Meta a warm smile, "It seems like talent can beat experience after all." Galacta Knight gave a slight nod, but Meta was aware of the deep red tone his eyes had. That half-demon was up to something and if the pink warrior's plan – whatever it was – succeeded, Meta Knight would be in trouble.

When they shook hands and prepared for the next battle, Meta Knight knew: There was no way he could beat Galacta if the pink warrior didn't hold back.

* * *

><p>The next morning felt like torture to Meta Knight. His body was stiff and his muscles hurt from yesterday's training. All in all he wasn't very happy about the fact that Blizzard would train them again after lunch.<p>

He sighed quietly and got out of his bed. He flexed his shoulders, frowned at the pain it caused and looked around the room. He had slept in one of the guest rooms in the castle – he silently wondered why the upper floors seemed to consist of nothing but guest rooms – and there were no windows hated when he couldn't see the sky.

He wrapped his cape tightly around his body, carefully put his sword in its scabbard and left the room. The hall's high ceiling made his steps echo and the cool breeze coming from a open door leading to a balcony ruffled his navy-blue cloak. He headed toward said door and walked outside. Dawn was almost there, a pale line on the horizon showing Meta Knight that.

Stars shimmered on the indigo sky above as Meta Knight climbed on the battlement and gazed over the landscape. Most people seemed to be still asleep, the windows dark and silent. A sudden flash of white in the palace garden caught his attention.

_'Is that...?,' _he thought and narrowed his eyes that flashed green. There it was again! He glanced to the right and the left – nobody there. He shouldn't take that risk, but his curiosity won.

He carefully unfolded his wings from his cape; a pair of dark blue, bat-like airfoils. He threw a last glance behind him to make sure nobody saw him, then let himself fall from the balcony. Air stroked his wings gently as he fell toward the ground. Smiling slightly, he made one powerful wing beat to stop his fall and glided gently between the bushes and tree trunks of the garden.

He remained close to the ground, dodging the occasional plant in his way, so he would remain unseen. Finally, he landed gently on the ground a few meters away from the spot where he had seen the white flash. After transforming the wings back into a cape, Meta Knight looked around. The pale line on the horizon had grown larger, but here under the trees, darkness still remained between the trunks.

He could hear voices further ahead slowly went into the direction they came from. One voice was definitely Galacta Knight's, but he didn't recognize the second one. He could see white feathers gleaming between the bushes ahead.

_'Who is talking to him?,' _Meta Knight asked himself and sneaked closer so he could peer through the leaves. It _was _Galacta Knight and the second person...

_'Sir Arthur?' _The GSA-leader was the last person Meta Knight had expected to see. But there he was, golden armor shimmering in the dawn-light and lavender eyes fixed on Galacta who stood with his back to Meta.

The blue warrior didn't dare to move a single muscle. If he was caught, they would ask... questions. Questions that he would have to answer with lies. Not that he wasn't a good liar, but lies tended to complicate things. He mentally yanked himself out of his thoughts and concentrated on the conversation in front of him.

"...don't doubt your intentions, nor your skill," Sir Arthur said calmly.

Galacta Knight seemed to be really angry and he replied sharply: "Then why don't you give me my title? Is it because of what I _am_?" Sir Arthur was silent, but Meta Knight was sure that he saw a flicker of sadness pass Arthur's eyes.

Galacta Knight's voice went cold: "So it is? Because of something I had no influence on? I never gave you any reason not to trust me."

"Galacta Knight-," Sir Arthur started, but the pink warrior cut him off with a hiss.

"No! If you don't want to acknowledge me, I won't be part of your army anymore!," he said sharply, "I'll quit!" He unfolded his wings and pushed himself off the ground. With strong wing beats, he disappeared from sight. Sir Arthur looked after him, but didn't call to hold him back. With a heavy sigh, the leader turned around sharply and walked away.

Meta Knight blinked and emerged from the bushes once the golden armored puffball's steps had faded. Had Galacta Knight really just left the army for good?

_'It seems so,' _Meta thought, _'One less thing to worry about.' _A white feather slowly came down in front of him. He stretched out his hand and the soft plume landed on his gloved palm. Meta Knight watched it for several minutes, eyes green with thought.

Suddenly, a strange feeling struck him, a bit like a mental shock wave. The forest around him blurred and was replaced by the view of Galora's surface. The planet was constantly growing smaller as he flew away from it. Anger and disappointment rushed through his body like acid, burning his stomach with those hateful emotion.

As soon as it had come, the vision was gone again. Meta Knight was left in the slowly brightening palace garden, the only sound being the chirping of awakening birds. He panted and noticed how his hand had cramped around the feather in his palm and quickly let go. It spiraled down to the leaf covered earth and lied there a few heartbeats before the wind carried it away.

He wished the wind could carry away the uneasy feeling the feather had left as well. The feeling that he had just seen something he shouldn't have. Had he really just seen through Galacta's eyes? And if he had, what was the reason for this?

_'Maybe it's because he's a half-demon..,' _he thought, but pushed that thought aside. Why would a demon beast suddenly see what a half-demon saw? Except... He shook his head. This last thought was impossible and wondering further would only give him a headache, but no answers.

And now that the feather and the vision were gone, he didn't have to worry about it.

_'Like I could stop wondering so easily,' _he thought bitterly and finally turned around to walk back to the palace. Behind him, the feather was carried back to the spot he stood on only seconds ago and landed on the leaves once more.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh boy... That chapter is LATE D: And I'm not satisfied with it. Not at all -.-"<br>**

**But well, I was hardly at home. My birthday is coming up, a cat I really liked died and I'm helping my grandmother to repaper her bathroom, so I'm quite stressed :(**

**Thanks to Flamefox2 and CyanideSpirit for reviewing**.

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. MK, GK and Sir Arthur belong to their respective owners. Blizzard and planet Galora belong to Flamefox2.**

**R&R plz!**


	12. Not a teamplayer: Garlude

_Clang!_

Meta Knight's blade crashed against Blizzard's. Three days had passed since Galacta Knight had left, but no one seemed to care. Life simply went on; as did Meta Knight's training.

Blizzard moved forward, ready to disarm Meta Knight, but he had learned that trick. When Blizzard's gem encrusted sword moved to the left to make Meta lose his grip, the blue puffball jerked his arm to the right. The impact broke Blizzard's hold and his pretty adorned sword flew through the air, landing on the lawn.

The white Star Warrior chuckled: "You saw through that trick, right?" Meta Knight nodded and let his own weapon drop. Suddenly, Blizzard spun around and tried to kick Meta Knight again. The blue warrior quickly dodged and caught Blizzard's foot. A quick pull and the white prince lost balance and landed in the grass. Meta Knight dipped his head, wrapped his cape around his body and waited for Blizzard to get up.

"You learned fast," Blizzard said casually while he went to pick up his sword, "I think you could keep up with the GSA's strongest warriors." Meta acknowledged the compliment with a brief nod. Blizzard Knight eyed Meta closely: "You don't like to show emotions, do you?"

The only answer he got was shrug. _'If you knew,' _Meta thought, _'But you won't realize... Until it's too late.' _He would crush that High Prince and the GSA and then, Nightmare would rule Galora. And the whole universe. Of course N.M.E. would reward the one who made it possible.

Blizzard, completely oblivious to Meta's thoughts, had turned his back to the blue warrior and was searching for his sword in the blades of grass. Meta Knight looked behind himself – nobody was there. A made a step toward the High Prince, his grip around the sword's hilt tightening. _'Do it now,' _he told himself._  
><em>

A sudden rustle behind him made him freeze.

"Hey!," a bright voice called, "Is Meta Knight here?" Both Star Warriors turned around and faced Kimu, Meta Knight's room mate on the ship. He was really short and shaped like a tin, with small feet and a giant cloud of silver hair on his head. His orange eyes gleamed through the visor of his armor.

"I'm here," Meta Knight said, straightening up.

"Sir Arthur wants to see you. And Sir Blizzard Knight as well." The youngster dipped his head – his whole body to be precise – like he hoped they would tell him what the leader wanted. But neither of the puffballs knew and Kimu left a disappointed shrug.

"We better get going," Blizzard remarked, put his sword in its scabbard and followed Kimu. Meta Knight silently cursed Kimu for interfering and his eyes flashed red a mere heartbeat before he went after Blizzard.

* * *

><p>Sir Arthur awaited them in his room on the GSA-ship. He wasn't alone, though. A lavender colored woman wearing a tiara and a blue, sleeveless dress stood left to Arthur.<p>

"Blizzard Knight? Meta Knight?," Sir Arthur addressed them and didn't bother to greet them properly, "This is Garlude."

The Star Warriors nodded politely at her and Garlude dipped her head in greeting as well. There was brief silence, before Arthur cleared his throat. "What I tell you now," he said sternly, "must be kept top secret. Understand?"

They nodded. Arthur lowered his voice and continued: "I'm sure you all have heard of Galaxia, the sacred sword which N.M.E. stole. Garlude spent years to search for it and now... she located the hiding place." Silence filled the room, tension practically crackling in the air.

"Excuse me," Blizzard finally said, "but why is Garlude here then?"

"Because it's being guarded!," Garlude spoke up. Her voice was deep for a female and something about it sounded impatient right now. Garlude continued: "The demon beast Kirisakin is standing sentinel over it. I can't beat it alone." Her last sentence was added with a bitter tone like she hated to admit that.

A small grin appeared on Blizzard's features: "So we're going to enter that hiding place with the whole army and rough up that Kirisakin a bit?"

But Arthur didn't seem to share his brother's enthusiasm and shook his head. "No Blizzard," he said and Blizzard Knight's face dropped slightly, "The planet where Galaxia is hidden is under Nightmare's control. Demon beasts are patrolling the area. Our army wouldn't even get close to Kirisakin."

"So what are you planning to do?," Blizzard asked, his voice sounding almost impatient. Sir Arthur didn't answer instantly. Instead, his gaze fixed on Meta Knight.

"I will send a Star Warrior with Garlude. Galaxia must be reclaimed and only Star Warriors can touch this sacred blade," the GSA-leader said, his eyes not leaving Meta Knight's face. "And since you have to protect Galora, Blizzard, Meta Knight will go," the golden-armored puffball finished.

"**What?**" The call came from both Garlude and Blizzard.

"He's only a recruit!," the violet soldier exclaimed, "Star Warrior or not, he can't have enough power yet!"

"Garlude," said Arthur said softly, "I can't let Blizzard go with you. And there aren't any other Star Warriors in our ranks but those two."

"What about Galacta Knight?," Garlude asked, obviously not ready to accept Sir Arthur's order. There was brief silence during which Meta Knight inwardly fought to keep his emotions hidden. He was ready for this kind of mission and that stuck-up Garlude probably wasn't fit to hold a candle to him!

Sir Arthur broke the silence: "He left. I have reasons to assume he has joined forces with Nightmare." 

_'What reasons? That he is a half-demon? That's far-fetched, even for Arthur's standards,' _Meta Knight thought and couldn't help but feel superior to the golden armored soldier.

Garlude eyed Meta Knight with an almost pejorative look in her eyes. "I have no choice, right?," she said finally.

Sir Arthur shook his head: "No."

"Fine," Garlude said a small smirk appeared on her lips, "But he better has the courage of a true Star Warrior. We will leave at dusk." With that, she left the room, her dress waving behind her. Meta Knight was left with Blizzard and Arthur in an awkward silence.

"She is a great warrior," Sir Arthur finally said with a sigh, "but she isn't really fond of teamwork."

Blizzard nodded: "You better be careful what you say when you work with her."

Meta Knight dipped his head: "I will." Sir Arthur nodded and signaled him that he was allowed to leave. With the slightest hint of a bow, Meta Knight left the room.

With quick steps, he went down the halls. They were empty and since the soldiers were enjoying their time on Galora, Meta had no trouble to find a room where he wouldn't be disrupted. With his eyes tinted crimson, he slipped in and closed the door behind him. 

_'Those fools really trust me,' _he thought and unsheathed his sword. Embedded in the hilt was a pitch black gem as big as his fist. If someone inspected it closer, he or she would notice how it seemingly absorbed all light. No reflection was seen on the smooth surface.

Meta Knight smirked beneath his mask while taking off one glove and carefully detaching the orb from its binding. _'But they won't inspect it closer.'_

Despite the fact it had been close to his body all the time, the gem was cold like ice; it hadn't grown warm at all. Meta watched the black stone a few seconds, then lifted his sword with his free hand. The blade flashed and blood oozed out of a small cut in his palm. Suppressing a small gasp of pain, Meta Knight clamped his hand around the gem.

As soon as the blood got in touch with the smooth, black surface, the whole gem grew hot. So hot it burnt his skin, making him grit his teeth in pain. Forcing himself to the next step, Meta Knight opened his hand again. The orb now showed the face of Costumer Service who was smirking slightly at Meta's pain.

"I want to speak to Nightmare," Meta Knight said, his voice calm and collected whilst the gem singed his blue flesh. For a second he was sure that Costumer Service would break the connection, which would force him to endure all the pain again, but finally, he dipped his head.

The surface of the gem blurred and a second later cleared again to show N.M.E.'s face. The Emperor of Evil smirked slightly at the sight of his servant: "What is it?"

"Sir Arthur chose me and a warrior named Garlude to reclaim Galaxia, master. What do you want me to do?," Meta asked, his eyes flashing to a pale gray from the pain that raged in every fiber of his body.

Nightmare was silent a few seconds – probably to watch Meta suffer – and finally answered. "You will go on this mission. If Galaxia is in your hands, the GSA won't try to get it," he said and paused a couple of heartbeats, "And try if you can get rid of Garlude."

As soon as Nightmare had said that, the connection was cut and Meta Knight was left alone with the gem. Slowly, the black material grew cold again. He wiped away the blood on it with his cape and attached it to his sword. Innocent and harmless, the orb shone in its binding. 

_'I hope I don't have to do that again anytime soon,' _he thought with a shudder; his hand pounded painfully where it had been burnt.

He straightened himself, sheathed his sword and put his glove back on. Slowly, he reached for the door, but jerked back when he heard steps outside. _'If they find me here, they will grow suspicious,' _he thought, _'So I will have to improvise.' _

He looked around quickly. The room seemed to be one of the unused ones in the ship. It was small and empty without any hiding places for the blue puffball. The steps came closer and Meta Knight clenched his fists, wincing when his injury sent a wave of pain through his body. Thinking fast, he pressed himself against the wall next to the door.

A mere heartbeat later, it hissed open and Blizzard and Yamikage entered.

"I'm sure I heard something," Blizzard said and scanned the room. But Meta Knight had already slipped outside and was heading down the hall, not bothering to listen to tha warriors' talk.

_'I have to be more careful in the future,' _he scolded himself silently, _'That was way too close.'_

* * *

><p>The setting sun bathed Galora in golden light, making it look unreal and mysterious. From his Star Ship, Meta Knight had a perfect view over the landscape, but he kept his eyes fixed on the buttons and displays in front of him. He knew Garlude's ship was flying next to him and risked a brief glance outside.<p>

He could see Blizzard and Arthur far beneath him on a balcony of the palace. They were looking up to them. Although Meta Knight couldn't see their faces clearly from so far, he was sure they had worried expressions on their features.

He returned his gaze to the controls of his ship when a crackle came from the radio equipment. Garlude's voice sounded through the ship, distorted by the transmission: "30.000.000 light years until we reach planet Kivi; however, Nightmare's territory begins only 34.000 light years from here. Garlude out."

The radio equipment went silent as the violet warrior cut the connection. Meta Knight watched how she navigated her ship in front of his and then disappeared in a blur when she used Warp Speed.

_'How did this work again?,' _Meta asked himself and stared at the buttons in front of him rather clueless. Then he spotted a button that had written "Warp Speed" across it and pushed it. _'At least the GSA-ships don't need a manual,' _he thought as his ship raced after Garlude's, turning the stars around him into blurs.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, it's shorter than usual :**

**Aaaaaanyways, I don't own anything and so on.**

**Reviews? As a birthday present for me? Pwease :3**


	13. Fight over the sacred blade

"Careful!" Garlude's voice sounded through Meta Knight's Star Ship from the radio equipment. The ear-splitting sound of an explosion followed. The appertaining shock wave threw the small Star Ship off its course; it lurched and almost hit a near asteroid.

They had passed the border between the free zone and Nightmare's territory some time ago and now, three Destrayers were chasing the two GSA-soldiers.

Another shot barely missed Meta Knight's ship; only a venturesome turn saved him from getting blown up. His golden eyes frantically searched the control panel for the buttons that activated the canons of his ship.

_'There!, _he thought as he spotted the blue lever that would do so. He gripped the steering wheel tighter and spun his ship around so he faced his chasers. He placed his gloved hand around the blue lever he had discovered, took aim and fired.

One of the Destrayers exploded in a giant fireball while Meta Knight already shot a second time. But this time, he missed his target which took the opportunity and fired at the Star Ship.

Meta Knight tried to get his ship out of the firing line, but it was too late. His eyes flashed white, before he squeezed them shut.

A heartbeat later, the earsplitting explosion sounded. Heat flowed over his body, burning it; the light was so bright it shone through his closed eyelids, turning his vision red. He screamed. Pain rushed through his body when pieces of metal and glass from his destroyed ship hit him.

_'It's over...,' _he thought, _'I failed my mission. I failed my master and now I will die for it.' _Then everything went black.

* * *

><p><em><strong>He was floating in space. Alone. In the distance, he could see planets as small, brightly colored spots, but at his current location, everything around him were stars. They glittered almost mischievously like they were mocking him.<strong>_

_** He couldn't help but chuckle at this thought; the stars... They were just great balls of gas that burnt up in space. **_

_**Suddenly, realization crossed his mind: He had his wings unfolded! Almost panicking, he tried to turn them into his cape – but found that he couldn't. Looking down on his hands, he had to suppress a yelp. His gloves were dark crimson colored! **_

_**Examining his body, he found his feet were just the same color and that his body had darkened to an almost black hue. His teeth had turned into long, pointed fangs and his wings were grayish-black and torn at the edges, making them almost useless for flight. **_

_**Fighting back panick and confusion, he tried to remember how he got here; but his mind was blank. **_

_'This is insane!,' **he told himself, **'I don't even remember how I got here...' _

_**A flash of light attracted his attention. **_

_**"THIS ISN'T YOU, META KNIGHT, IS IT?" **_

_**He spun around at the sound of a voice; it was deep and hollow and sounded... ancient. As much as he searched for the one this voice belonged to, he only saw stars and darkness. **_

_**"Who are you?," he asked with a growl and realized how his voice had changed to a deep, rough tone. **_

_**"THAT DOESN'T MATTER. I'M HERE TO SHOW YOU THE TRUTH BEHIND ALL THE LIES YOU WERE TOLD," answered the voice. **_

_**Meta Knight growled, his red tinted eyes gleaming crimson. "I won't listen to you until you told me who you are!," he spat. This time, he didn't get a reply. Instead, his surroundings changed. His eyes widened when he recognized the new setting. **_

_**"Is that...?," he asked. **_

_**"YES. NOW LETS TAKE A LOOK AT THE PAST EVENTS..." **_

_**"Forget it!,' Meta growled, flapping his torn wings in anger, "I don't want to hear what you think is the truth!" The scenery faded. **_

_**"FINE. BUT I CAN ALWAYS SHOW YOU. JUST COME BACK WHEN YOU'RE READY..."**_

* * *

><p>He woke with a gasp and shot up. Immediately, his head started spinning and a wave of nausea hit him. Groaning, he dropped down again.<p>

After he felt a little better, he tried to find out where he was. He could see a campfire a few meters away, but its light wasn't bright enough illuminate his surroundings. All he could see were high stone-walls that encircled him. A cave?

"You're awake," stated a voice.

_'Garlude,' _he recognized it. The lavender warrior's face appeared over him.

"You're pretty darn lucky you survived!," she hissed at him, "And even luckier there's a Kabu on Kivi."

Meta Knight pushed himself into a sitting position while she talked, this time slower. Again, he felt nausea overwhelming him.

"You lost a lot of blood," Garlude said and Meta was surprised to find a trace of worry in her voice. Then he noticed the bandages wrapped around his arms and legs. Only Garlude could have done that.

"I'm fine," he tried to reassure her, but he knew he wasn't. Garlude rolled her indigo colored eyes: "Don't try to fool me. We'll stay here until Kabu has restored you and your Warpstar."

Meta Knight's hand went up to his shoulder pad where he expected to find his Warpstar. But it wasn't there. _'Did I lose it when I was shot down?,' _he asked himself and felt a twinge of fear. The star was his source of power after all. Wordlessly, Garlude pointed into a corner. Meta Knight's Warpstar lied on a small pedestal, glowing faintly. The weak glow faded and increased with his own heartbeat, he realized.

_'So we're inside a Kabu,' _he thought when a idea struck him, _'So did that stone sent me that... vision?' _

Garlude had left his side and now sat beside the fire. The crackling flames cast long, eerie shadows on the walls while the two soldiers waited for Meta Knight to heal; neither of them said a word.

Finally, Garlude broke the silence: "May I ask you a question, Meta Knight?"

"Sure," Meta said politely, "Go ahead."

The lavender soldier locked eyes with him: "Why did you join the GSA?"

He was taken aback by the question. Had she grown suspicious toward him? _'She's probably just curious,' _he told himself and hoped that Garlude hadn't noticed his surprise.

"As a Star Warrior," he lied calmly, "I think it's my fate to fight for freedom and justice." Garlude gave a short nod; her expression didn't give away whether she believed him or not.

For a while, the only audible sound were the crackling flames of the fire. Then Meta spoke up: "Why did you join?" He didn't know why he was asking that; as much as tried to tell himself he was just simulating interest, he knew he wasn't. Garlude looked up.

He noticed the sadness radiating from her in waves when she said: "Revenge. I lost my family to the demons when they destroyed my home planet. I hid my daughter and joined the GSA so I can live with her when the war is over." They were silent again.

The fire died down slowly until only smoldering ashes were left. Garlude had lied down and gone to sleep, but Meta Knight remained awake. For the first time ever, he questioned his master's motives. He tried to push this traitorous doubts away, but they kept coming back. He shook his head furiously to get rid of them and winced when his wounds hurt.

_'I'm a demon. I shouldn't be so... sentimental. If Nightmare finds out...' _He didn't continue this thought. But even the hint of what _might _happen if he was disobedient to N.M.E. was enough to stop his scruples from growing.

* * *

><p>By the time the sun rose over Kivi, Meta Knight's wounds were fully healed. He clearly benefited from the fact that both Star Warriors and demons healed faster than usual beings.<p>

By the time Garlude woke, the blue warrior was ready for leaving Kabu. The lavender soldier proved to be very determined: She merely ate something, then stood up with gleaming eyes: "Lets get that sacred sword."

Meta Knight nodded curtly and carefully attached his Warpstar to his shoulder pad. It was glowing faintly blue for a second, the returned to its usual golden color.

Garlude had already exited the ancient stone.

"Are you coming?," she asked, looking back at him. Meta Knight nodded, wrapped his cape around himself and followed her.

Just before he stepped outside, a voice sounded in his head.

'_REMEMBER: __COME__ BACK WHEN YOU'RE READY'_

Suppressing a screech of surprise, Meta Knight quickly left the stone. _'I won't,' _he thought, though not sure if Kabu would hear.

* * *

><p>"There it is," Garlude whispered. The two warriors stood hidden behind a rock, looking at a cave entrance.<p>

"In there," the lavender soldier explained, "Kirisakin is guarding Galaxia."

"Then we will get in there and reclaim it," Meta said sternly.

Garlude smiled softly and unsheathed her sword: "Or we will die trying." With determined steps, the duo entered the cave.

Cool air and darkness greeted them, but further ahead, a faint golden glow was visible. Meta Knight could feel Garlude's nervousness while they approached it. _'She probably waited for this a very long time,' _the blue puffball thought.

Finally, the cave opened wide around them. Galaxia, shining with golden light, was stuck in a rock in front of them. Meta made a step toward it, but Garlude shook her head slightly. Then Meta saw it, too: A giant heap of fur lied in front of the rock. Saliva dripped from sharp fangs, landing on two blades that served as replacement for front paws. Kirisakin.

The indigo colored beast was one of N.M.E.'s strongest creations and Meta Knight knew that. He could only hope that it would recognize him as demon and let him live.

Garlude made a few cautious steps toward the sacred blade, but Kirisakin stirred. A low growl emitted from the beast and it opened its black eyes. With a snarl, it got up as soon as it noticed the intruders. Garlude didn't hesitate and attacked the demon beast.

Her blade flashed and Kirisakin howled in pain. Blind with fury, the indigo monster struck; Garlude tried to block the blow, but was thrown backwards by the impact. She crashed into a wall and dropped to the floor.

Kirisakin spun around and faced Meta Knight. The blue puffball tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword as the demon came running toward him. Didn't Kirisakin recognize him? It didn't look like it would have mercy.

_'Then you called for it,' _he thought and raised his sword. The beast yowled and jumped at him. Meta Knight deflected the first blow and dodged the next.

"Sword beam!," he yelled and brought his blade down swiftly. The bright beam was aimed perfectly. However, Kirisakin simply crossed its blades and blocked the beam. Meta's eyes widened. The indigo demon charged him again and Meta Knight was sure it was smirking. Metal hit metal with an ear-splitting sound. Sparks flew.

Meta Knight blocked attack after attack, unable to strike himself without getting hit. Then, Kirisakin landed a powerful blow on Meta's blade. With a loud _**CRACK**_ it broke; the upper half was hurtled away and the blue Star Warrior was left with a short stub.

He backed away slowly, eyes searching frantically for something he could use as a weapon. Kirisakin gave a triumphant yowl and lifted its left blade, ready to finish the Star Warrior off.

Just when it was about to strike, it screeched with pain and staggered backwards. Garlude had sunk her sword deep into the beast's shoulder. She clung to the hilt desperately as the demon tried to shake her off.

"Take Galaxia!," she called toward the frozen puffball.

Meta obeyed and spun around, but before he could reach the sacred blade, Kirisakin stepped in his way. It was bleeding from a wound on its shoulder where Garlude had sunk her sword in, but it wasn't any less dangerous. Meta Knight was thrown across the cave and hit the wall painfully.

He gasped as the breath was knocked from his lungs and dropped to the floor limply. Kirisakin towered over him, triumph glittering in its dark eyes. Meta peered past the demon; he could see how Garlude stumbled over to Galaxia. She was bleeding badly and limped with each step she made, but still approached the sword determinedly.

Kirisakin turned around and raced in her direction. Garlude reached the rock and lied both hands around Galaxia's hilt. Instantly, electricity emitted from the sacred blade and ran over the lavender warrior's body.

_'She doesn't have enough power to wield that sword!,' _Meta realized.

Garlude screamed with pain as her body cramped, but didn't let go of the sacred blade. With a powerful tug, she pulled Galaxia out of the rock and threw it across the cave. With a clattering sound, it landed in front of Meta Knight who leaped forward and picked it up. In the second he touched the hilt, a warmth he had never felt before streamed into him. Bright golden light enfolded his body and a feeling of pure power flowed through his veins.

"**I waited for you, young Star Warrior," **said a gentle voice, **"You will do great things in future..."**

The voice went silent and the golden light faded. Meta Knight was left in the dark cave again. Then Garlude's scream pierced the air.

Meta spun around and what he saw made his blood run cold. Kirisakin had dug its teeth into her back and was shaking her. Then, he lifted his blades and ran them across the lavender warrior's stomach. Garlude gave a last scream and went limp. Kirisakin dropped her dead body to the ground and turned to face Meta.

Blood dripped from the beast's fangs and blades. Determinedly, the blue Star Warrior ran at the monster, sword risen. The golden blade crashed against Kirisakin's silver ones. 

**"No! Run, Meta Knight. You have to survive!" **The voice – probably Galaxia's – was there again.

"I'll defeat it!," he hissed, anger boiling inside of him.

**"Get out of here, you fool! If you die, everything is lost!" **

Finally, Meta Knight obeyed. He dodged another attack from Kirisakin and ran toward the exit. He could hear the beast's feet hitting the ground as it chased after him. There was no way he could outrun that demon! Except...

Without stopping, he unfolded his wings from his cape and pushed himself off the ground. The monster growled with frustration when its prey sped up and got out of the cave. Kirisakin, its body too big to fit the entrance, slammed against the cave-wall. Yowling with rage, the demon tried to get to Meta Knight; but the stone didn't give in.

Releasing the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding, Meta Knight turned his wings back into a cape. Galaxia's blade dispersed with a flash of light; Meta Knight put the residual hilt in his scabbard and wrapped his blue cape around himself. He kept walking in the process and was several meters away from the cave, when the whole extent of the recent events reached his brain.

Garlude was dead. _'I should feel triumphant at this,' _he thought, _'My master told me to get rid of her... So why do I feel so sick?' _

Kabu appeared in the distance, but Meta was so absorbed in thought he hardly noticed. A lump had formed in his throat; what would he tell Sir Arthur? He had no answer for that.

He stopped a few inches away from Kabu's massive frame; Garlude's Star Ship stood to his left. Slowly, he approached it. The thought of leaving her body in that cave sickened him, but there was no way he could survive a second encounter with Kirisakin. He heaved a sigh, his eyes flashing green for a second, and prepared to enter the ship.

But before he could do so, something solid slammed into him. He was pressed against Kabu with incredible power; he felt the cool touch of metal between his eyes. His eyes flashed red and narrowed when he realized who his attacker was.

* * *

><p><strong>Loooong chapter xD For my standards anyway :P<strong>

**And it's a cliffhanger!^^ If you can guess who's attacking Meta, you get a cookie**.

**As always, I don't own anything and R&R plz.**

**Flamefox2: Well, I couldn't have killed Blizzard... right?^^**

**Lunara the ara: Thanks :)**


	14. Kabu's wisdom: Origins

_Something solid slammed into him. He was pressed against Kabu with incredible power; he felt the cool touch of metal between his eyes. His eyes flashed red and narrowed when he realized who his attacker was._

"Galacta Knight?," he asked with a growl. The hot pink warrior pressed his lance harder against Meta's forehead. The blue warrior felt a trickle of blood run down his face. He knew was at the mercy of Galacta Knight; and he hated it.

"What do you want?," he asked the pink Star Warrior with a hiss.

Galacta's mask was hiding his expression, but Meta Knight was sure he was smirking when he answered: "Galaxia." Under his cape, the blue puffball tightened his grip on the sacred sword.

"So Sir Arthur was right? You work for Nightmare now?," he asked, trying hard to keep his tone smooth and calm. Of course he knew that Galacta Knight wasn't serving N.M.E. - if the Emperor of Evil wanted Galaxia, he would simply tell Meta to give it to him. The pink warrior wasn't flanking with anyone.

A sickening chuckle came from the white winged Star Warrior whose eyes shone with hunger: "Once I've obtained Galaxia, not even N.M.E. can overpower me! Now hand it over and I _might _let you live." He increased the pressure against Meta Knight's forehead who winced in response. However, the blue puffball wouldn't give up yet.

"Never," he growled through gritted teeth. Not even a heartbeat before Galacta Knight could pierce his skull, Meta Knight kicked the pink warrior. Just like Blizzard had taught him, he hit the unprotected spot beside Galacta's mask. With a surprised yelp, Galacta Knight loosened his grip on his lance, allowing Meta to get away.

The blue soldier jumped to the side and unsheathed Galaxia's hilt. Golden lightening crackled and turned into the flame-shaped blade. Galacta had recovered from his kick and faced him with his lance drawn. Meta searched his eyes and was tempted to step back when their eyes locked.

Galacta's red eyes, usually calm, almost gentle, had turned into crimson, blazing rubies. _'He's beyond sanity,' _Meta Knight thought bitterly, _'But that won't make it easier to fight him.' _

The pink Star Warrior leaned on his wings lazily: "Come and attack me, Mety. Or are you scared I might beat you?" He obviously hoped to trick Meta to make the first move.

"I could ask you the same question," the blue warrior replied calmly. Galacta Knight frowned beneath his mask and straightened up.

"I could defeat you single-handed," he growled and Meta Knight saw how he rose his lance. When he didn't get an answer, Galacta Knight shot forward with a rage filled battle-cry. Meta Knight felt a small smirk appear on his face when he dodged; the pink warrior never aimed properly when he was angry.

Spinning around, Meta Knight evoked a Sword Beam. It raced toward Galacta, but he simply lifted his shield. The beam was deflected and crashed into a near rock which exploded. Smoke blocked Meta Knight's view. 

_'Where did he go?,' _he asked himself and scanned the grayish clouds around him. He heard the sound of wing beats and then, a single white feather spiraled down in front of him. His head snapped up, just in time to save him from Galacta's lance. The magenta colored weapon crashed against his mask as Galacta Knight dropped down on him.

They rolled over the bare, rocky ground as a bundle of metal and feathers. Finally, Meta Knight managed to push the other warrior away. Panting, he got to his feet. Galacta Knight didn't look like the battle had weakened him.

_'He's not holding back this time,' _Meta Knight realized, _'I... I can't beat him...' _

Galacta charged him again; the lance clashed with Galaxia several times as their fight went on. Meta Knight's attacks were poor compared to Galacta's blows and never found their target behind the shield.

Finally, Galacta Knight used his wings to shoot forward and push Meta back. The blue puffball was thrown into Kabu and dropped to the ground. His whole body hurt. Galacta Knight towered him, lance outstretched.

"Now you die, Meta Knight," he said in a tone like he just stated something about the weather. This warrior wasn't insane, Meta Knight realized; he was even beyond that state. Closing his golden eyes, Meta Knight waited for him to strike.

But to his surprise, no pain came. Instead, he could hear his opponent gasp and stumble backwards.

"What is that?," Meta heard him call and opened his eyes. Instantly, he saw what had surprised Galacta Knight. His gloves and feet had turned crimson; his body-color had darkened and a piercing pain on his bottom-lip told him that he had grown fangs. His now dark gray colored cape was torn and flapped in the breeze behind him.

Instincts took over control. With a snarl, he got up and unfolded his bat-like wings. He enjoyed the look of horror in Galacta's eyes as he approached the pink warrior with Galaxia risen above his head.

"Scared of me?," he asked mockingly.

Galacta growled and lifted his lance: "In you dreams." With a growl, he leaped forward and slammed against Meta Knight who easily pushed him back. The white winged warrior hissed and flapped his wings angrily, ascending from the ground. Meta Knight followed slightly slower since his wings were just as tattered as the cape had been.

Nonetheless he was agile and quick in the air.

"So that's what you truly are?," Galacta Knight asked with a sneer, "A simple _demon_? Really, I thought your secret would be more spec-" He didn't finish that sentence.

Meta Knight was charging him already: "Dark Sword Beam!" A Sword Beam as black as night raced toward Galacta Knight with incredible speed. The pink warrior held up his shield, but Meta Knight hadn't been aiming for the body after all. He saw how Galacta 's eyes widened in realization, but it was too late: The beam hit his right wing.

Screaming in agony, Galacta Knight fell toward the ground. Blood oozed from his wing where feathers had been torn away; it stuck out in an odd angle, obviously broken. Meta Knight landed in front of him and slashed the pink warrior's right arm, making him unable to wield his lance. Shaking, Galacta Knight got to his feet and tried to run, but Meta Knight tackled him to the ground again.

Red haze filled his vision; he longed for the taste of blood, enjoyed the fear coming from Galacta. 

**"Meta Knight! Stop!," **called Galaxia's voice in his head, but he didn't listen. Galacta Knight lifted his hand in a weak attempt to defend himself; he had lost shield when Meta Knight had tackled him. The dark Star Warrior stood in front of him, Galaxia aimed at the spot between Galacta's eyes.

Meta reveled in Galacta's fear, smirking like crazy beneath his mask. 

**"META KNIGHT, DON'T!," **Galaxia yelled, the ancient voice echoing through his head. The red haze in his mind cleared a bit; Galacta Knight stared up at him. Of course he was scared, but there was also a trace of proudness in his glance. The proudness of a true warrior. Meta Knight growled, lifted Galaxia and struck.

However, he had used the flat side, not the sharp edge. Still the force was enough to knock out his opponent; Galacta went limp.

Meta Knight dropped to his knees; Galaxia's hilt slipped from his hand and the sacred sword fell to the ground. The red haze filled his mind, trying to take control again, but this time, Meta Knight fought it; he was shaking from the effort, but still didn't yield. Slowly, the red left his vision and he could think straight again.

He folded his wings that weren't tattered anymore back into a cape, while his body brightened to navy blue and his feet turned lavender. His gloves were white again, but stained with Galacta Knight's blood. Meta Knight's stomach churned; he had almost killed the pink warrior.

He closed his eyes to hold back tears of pain and fear. He didn't know what just happened, nor what he should do now. His wounds stung painfully as he got up. He wanted to leave Kivi as fast as he could. He picked up Galaxia and approached Garlude's star ship, limping.

Just before he entered the aircraft, his gaze fell on Galacta Knight. The pink warrior lied on the ground in a pool of his own blood that still leaked from his wounds. 

**"If you leave him here, he will either die... or survive and come after you again," **Galaxia stated, knowing he was thinking the same.

"I can't risk him being at large," Meta Knight murmured, but even while he said that he knew he couldn't kill the winged warrior. He didn't know why – he had killed both demons and Star Warriors in the past, but something about Galacta Knight detained Meta from slaying him.

With a sigh, Meta Knight went over to the fallen warrior and picked him up. Galacta Knight didn't even stir when he was carried inside Kabu and dropped on the floor roughly.

"Kabu?," Meta Knight asked, hoping the stone would answer him. His voice echoed around the cavernous room and faded. He was almost sure Kabu wouldn't speak to him, when the deep, wise voice spoke up.

"META KNIGHT," it said, "YOU RETURNED... BUT YOU DIDN'T COME TO ACCEPT MY OFFER."

"No," Meta Knight replied, "But I need you to help me. Galacta Knight-"

"HAS SURRENDERED TO INSANITY AND DARKNESS; BUT YOU CAN'T KILL HIM."

Meta Knight nodded, his brow furrowing. "I... I don't know why, but I... just can't," he replied.

Kabu's next words surprised him: "NEITHER COULD GALACTA KNIGHT KILL YOU. IF ONE OF YOU IS DESTROYED, THE OTHER WILL FALL AS WELL."

With a flash, the surroundings changed; instead of rock, stars and planets stretched out around him as far as he could see. His feet told him he was still standing on rocky ground, but his eyes showed him different.

"LONG AGO," Kabu started, "N.M.E. CAPTURED A STAR WARRIOR..." They seemed to race through space, though Meta Knight didn't move at all; his belly tightened. Nightmare's fortress appeared in front of them; with high speed they raced through the corridors until they reached the room that Nightmare called "throne room".

The Emperor of Evil stood beside his giant chessboard. One of his bony hands was outstretched and above it floated a creature. It was a puffball; bleeding and with his armor torn, he didn't look like he could put up a fight. A chuckle came from N.M.E. when he lifted his other hand and revealed a demon beast. It looked vague and hazy, but Meta Knight could make out two sets of wings, one feathered, one bat-like and pair of golden horns.

"IN HIS SEARCH FOR POWER, N.M.E. WANTED TO POSSESS A CREATURE THAT COMBINED THE STRENGTH OF A STAR WARRIOR WITH THE DARK HEART OF A DEMON BEAST," Kabu explained while Nightmare brought demon and puffball closer together. A flash of pure white brightened the scene. Suddenly, it turned pitch-black abruptly and faded.

"BUT IT DIDN'T WORK AS PLANNED: INSTEAD OF A SERVANT, NIGHTMARE HAD CREATED A POWERFUL ENEMY," Kabu continued. Meta Knight watched how the new creation attacked N.M.E. as soon as the light faded.

The scene turned blurred and when it cleared again, Kittari Hattari, also known as Slice n' Splice, became visible.

"NIGHTMARE DECIDED TO SPLIT HIS CREATION," Kabu proceeded and Kittari Hattari struck with his moon-scepter. The setting faded to black once more. Then, a single ray of light fell on two little puffballs. One was pink with a set of white, feathered wings and two golden horns on his head. Galacta Knight. Snuggled up to him lied a blue puffball with bat-like wings.

Meta Knight knew that this second puffball was he himself; he stared down at the two creations.

"DECIDING THAT GALACTA KNIGHT WOULD LOOK TOO MUCH LIKE A DEMON WITH HIS HORNS, NIGHTMARE THREW HIM AWAY," Kabu said while the scene faded and the rocky inside of the ancient stone returned.

"And... he kept... me?," Meta Knight asked, his voice hoarse.

"YES"

Kabu went silent. Slowly, as if in trance, Meta Knight went over to Galacta. The warrior still lied on the floor, bleeding and unconscious. However, Kabu's power had already started working and Galacta's wing wasn't broken anymore.

Suddenly, something crossed his mind: "If Kittari Hattari splits a creature, isn't one part always female?"

"YES," came the answer, "BUT GALACTA KNIGHT KEPT HER GENDER A SECRET TO EVERYONE BUT SIR ARTHUR." Meta Knight blinked. His eyes flashed in several colors, giving away his confusion.

Finally, he sighed. "What am I supposed to do now?," he asked weakly.

"RETURN TO THE GSA-BASE. YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE A SIDE; SOON, BUT NOT RIGHT NOW. I'LL TAKE CARE OF GALACTA KNIGHT."

As soon as Kabu went silent, a brilliant white light enfolded the pink warrior, blending Meta Knight. The bright spot rose from the ground; Galacta Knight's limp form hung in the center, rotating around himself slowly.

Then, the light faded and Galacta was sealed in crystal. The light returned in a giant flash, so bright Meta Knight staggered backwards. Then, both the light and the crystal were gone.

* * *

><p><strong>My personal explanation of how Galacta Knight got sealed away. I hope you like it :3 <strong>

**And I always thought of GK as female; don't ask me why, though xD  
><strong>

**Anyway, I don't own the characters. **

**Flamefox2: You're right^^ *gives cookie* Except for the word "he" xD**

**CyanideSpirit: You get a cookie as well :D**


	15. Attack! The trap

Meta Knight sat on the wall that enclosed the palace garden on Galora. His eyes had turned to a deep green as he stared into the distance.

A year. A whole year had passed since the fateful events on Kivi, but Meta Knight's mind had always been set on it. What Kabu had shown him had sowed doubts in him, doubts about his actions. His motives. He questioned his whole _being. _

Kabu had told him to choose a side – but how could he? He, a cross-breeding, a creature between light and dark...

Meta Knight heaved a sigh. In the garden below, he could see two recruits training. Kimu was one of them.

With a battle-cry, he leaped at a puffball named Kirameki, who spun around and slammed her ice-blue body against the silver-haired boy. As they tumbled over the ground, their serious training ended; their bright laughter filled the air. Meta Knight held back another sigh, wishing he could be this carefree.

The question on which side he stood on wasn't the only thing he worried about. Ever since the battle with Galacta Knight, something inside Meta had awoken. He put two and two together and guessed that it was his inner demon.

If the blue puffball was angry, he felt it tugging on his mind, trying to get control again. He shivered slightly at the thought of turning into this dark being again. When he returned from Kivi, he had scrubbed his gloves that had been stained with Galacta's blood for hours on end; the look of the crimson color sickened him.

"Hey, Meta. How are ya doing?"

The voice of Sir Jecra startled him, jerking him out of his thoughts. Looking down, he found that the warrior stood right beneath him, gazing up with an amused sparkle in his eyes. In his arms he held a small bundle; Meta could make out purple skin and a few strands of tousled hair.

"Just fine," he finally answered Jecra's question and quickly changed the subject, "So this is your son?"

Jecra's wife Amai had given birth a few days ago, but nobody had seen the child yet.

Jecra nodded, proudness glimmering in his eyes: "He's gonna be a great warrior."

"I see."

They were quiet for a few moments and watched how Kirameki started to chase Kimu around the garden. Her dark purple wings gave away that she was a cross-breed, but it wasn't like her to worry much.

_'She isn't partly a demon after all,' _Meta Knight thought and sighed again. Jecra noticed and sat down beside him.

"Something's wrong, isn't it?," the warrior with the untamed hair asked, "You look pretty sad for someone who just got his 'Sir'." Right. His title. This morning, Sir Arthur had announced that Meta Knight would be _Sir _Meta Knight from now on, making him a full GSA-member finally. In his troubled thoughts, this had slipped his mind already.

"I'm fine. Really," the blue puffball asserted, but didn't look Jecra in the eyes. There was a brief silence.

"Is it because of Garlude?" Sir Jecra looked at Meta almost sympathetic; his son wriggled in his arms, whimpering slightly.

Sir Meta Knight shook his head: "No. She died for what she believed was right; before we entered that cave Galaxia was hidden in, Garlude told me that we would either reclaim that sword or die trying."

They went silent again while Jecra's son continued to wriggle and whine.

"He wants to see his mother, I guess," Jecra murmured and jumped to the ground, "See ya later." With quick steps, he disappeared into the bushes.

Meta Knight was left alone in the now quiet garden; Kimu and Kirameki had left while he was talking to Jecra. Absent-mindedly, Meta pulled something out from the depths of his cape. It was small down feather, soft and white, laying in his palm like a flake of snow. Meta Knight had found it on his cape when he got back to Galora after fighting Galacta Knight.

Since he didn't want the GSA to find out his secret, he hid the feather, but he didn't throw it away. Sometimes, when he was all alone, he would hold it in his hand and let his thoughts wander. He would catch traces of emotions, sometimes even an image of what Galacta Knight was seeing.

He glanced around carefully, then closed his gloved hand around the plume and squeezed his eyes shut. For a few seconds, he only sensed darkness and his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

Then, he felt anger boiling through every fiber of his body. Pure hatred lit his entrails on fire; but there was also deep despair, the despondency of being unable to move, to stretch these white feathered wings...

Meta Knight's eyes snapped open at the sound of an explosion. At first, he thought it was part of Galacta Knight's sensation, but the screams that followed it proved him wrong.

Unsheathing Galaxia, Sir Meta Knight jumped down from the wall and ran toward the sound. He could see a pillar of smoke rise from the town. Running down the palace-halls, he almost slammed into Blizzard and Arthur. The two were heading to the town as well and with a short nod they beckoned Meta Knight to follow them.

* * *

><p>Collecting the GSA-members on their way, the group soon stood on the market place of Galora's capital. The townsfolk had gathered around a smoking crater, looking terrified.<p>

"What happened?," Blizzard Knight asked a near man.

He jumped, surprised to be addressed and pointed to the sky: "I-it just came from up t-there and ex-exploded..."

The man's voice faded as darkness enfolded around them. Silence fell as a huge, dark shape emerged from the clouds above.

"A Destrayer," Blizzard growled, unsheathing his gem encrusted sword. The disc-shaped ship stopped, lingering over the market-place like an animal waiting for attack.

"Jecra? Amai?," Blizzard hissed, not turning his eyes away from the lowering ship. The pair made a sound to confirm they heard him. "Get the citizens outta here."

With a buzzing sound, a ball of light left the Destrayer and flew straight at Blizzard. The High Prince leaped out of the way and the ball crashed into the ground, exploding. More of the light-balls came shooting from the disc-shaped ship, aiming for the soldiers.

Meta Knight avoided one and watched how it burst, setting a house on fire. The citizens started running, screaming in panic as ricochets came flying at them. Meta Knight and the other GSA-members tried what they could to protect them, but since the light-balls were aimed for them, coming near a bystander only added to the danger.

_'This isn't a fight. As I know N.M.E., this is only an advance party,' _he thought, scanning the Destrayer's openings.

"There," he growled, causing the other warriors to look up. A group of Daseki was emerging from an opening, swiftly coming closer to the battle-field. Soon enough, the bat-like creatures had reached their target. One of them headed for Meta Knight, fangs bared.

The blue knight easily brought his opponent down by slicing it in half. With a small explosion, the demon beast was gone.

However, Meta Knight hadn't noticed how a light-ball had flown in his direction while he fought. Just in time, he dodged the deadly projectile that blew up the pavement behind him. Turning around sharply, Meta Knight brought down another Daseki.

His next target dodged by flying upwards, then came darting down on him. Meta Knight avoided the small creature by stepping to the side and killed it with a quick strike of Galaxia. Another light-ball came towards him and Meta didn't have any options but pressing himself to the ground.

The glowing energy raced over his head and hit a house that started to burn. The blue puffball got to his feet and looked around quickly. Fires and craters were dotted over the place; warriors were fighting and citizens just tried to get out of this place alive.

By now, the Daseki had started using their strongest ability: Breathing fire. The bat-like creatures set things on fire where they could, letting out high pitched noises of joy while doing so.

"Meta Knight, watch out!"

The call came from his left and he spotted Kimu who pointed behind the blue knight. Meta threw himself to the side, knowing that it would take too much time to turn around and look. A light-ball hit the ground where had stood only seconds before. Kimu, who had dashed over, got thrown back and out of Meta Knight's view. 

_'I don't have time to look for him now,' _the blue puffball decided and returned to the battle. He brought down four more Daseki, but there were too many of them. Slowly, the GSA retreated, pushed back by the mass of demons.

Meta Knight unleashed a sword beam, but the beasts he killed were instantly replaced. One of them bit down into his arm, making him stumble. With a hiss, Meta sliced it in half.

"AMAI!"

The call rang out over the battle-field, filled with pain and anger. Turning around, Meta Knight saw how Jecra, half buried under Daseki, tried to hold on to his wife's hand.

But the demon beasts tore them apart mercilessly, burying both bodies. Meta Knight made a dash for the couple, but three Daseki slammed into him from the right, making him stumble. He fought them off quickly, but now he had lost sight of his comrades.

Everything seemed to be filled with opponents. Their shrieks hurt his ears, their presence tainting the air.

A flash of white caught his attention. Blizzard was fighting in a circle of dead Daseki, his sword only a blur when it brought down enemy after enemy. However, Meta Knight could see how torn his cape was and whenever the High Prince moved, droplets of blood would fly from him. 

_'He won't be able to hang on much longer,' _Meta Knight realized. It seemed like the time to choose a side had come.

If he let Blizzard die, Nightmare would take over Galora; if not, the GSA had chance to save the planet. It lied in his, Sir Meta Knight's, hands.

Right then, Blizzard stumbled and fell. Unknowingly making his decision, Meta Knight dashed forward, Galaxia lifted over his head. But the Daseki around him were too crowded than he could reach the High Prince in time. The red haze started at the edges of his vision; he furiously fought it back.

Blizzard gave a scream of pain. Even while on the ground, the Star Warrior fought bravely, slashing out with his sword. One of the Daseki managed to sink his teeth into the white warrior's sword-arm. Blizzard let go of his weapon and it disappeared into the mass of demons.

Meta Knight was still a few meters away, too far to help as the demon beasts lunged at the High Prince. In impulse, Sir Meta Knight unfolded his wings from his cape. He flew into the air, leaving his enemies behind.

A single Daseki lunged at Blizzard, clearly hoping to finish the Prince off. But Meta Knight was there. He darted toward the ground, Galaxia outstretched, and slashed the small demon. It gave a shriek and exploded.

Suddenly, the other Daseki seemed to lose all interest in fighting. In a giant, dark cloud, they returned to the Destrayer that had stopped shooting light-balls.

Meta Knight looked around. Blizzard had passed out from blood-loss, lying unconscious at Meta Knight's feet. His heart sank.

_'This never was about Galora or Blizzard,' _Meta Knight realized, _'This was about me alone. Nightmare must have noticed how I grew doubtful... It was a trap.' _

He could see the GSA stare at him, frozen with shock. He knew it looked like he had fought Blizzard and with his wings unfolded, they wouldn't listen to his explanations.

A battle-cry pierced the air and Meta Knight spun around to see Sir Dragato run towards him. His sword was aimed directly at Meta; meant to kill, not wound. The blue puffball leaped into the air and flapped his wings, descending from the ground and up to where the Destrayer was taking off slowly, having accomplished its mission.

Another battle-cry came from below him and he could see Kirameki coming for him. Her wing beats held so much energy that Meta Knight could tell she was boiling with anger even without seeing her expression. She came racing toward him, even though she had no weapon.

Meta Knight easily dodged, grabbed one of her wings and flung her to the ground. Not hard enough to hurt her seriously, but with enough force to stop her from another attack.

Turning around, Meta Knight headed away from the town. His wounds bled and of course he was in pain, but his mind was so numb he hardly noticed it.

Very slowly, a single realization formed in his mind: From now on, he would be hunted by both, GSA and N.M.E. And neither of them would stop until he was brought down.

* * *

><p><strong>Not much to say for this chapter, except that I really want to hug Meta now... <strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except for Kimu and Amai. Blizzard and Galora belong to Flamefox2, Kirameki belongs to Lunara the ara.**

**CyanideSpirit: Thanks xD The answer is: Lots of inspiring music, cacao and free time xD**

**Flamefox2: Well, I like some lady-power in my stories ;D And Kittari Hattari just... sort of made sense... I think xD**


	16. Betrayal

Meta Knight continued his flight until his wings were sore. Originally, he had wanted to leave Galora, but Nightmare would have garrisoned his demons outside the atmosphere.

To avoid both his pursuers, he had hidden in the forest; he sat in the highest branches of a tree, glancing down. He could hear a rustling sound and soon enough, he saw a GSA-patrol emerge from the bushes. He recognized Sir Arthur, Kirameki and Nonsurat.

_'They're searching for me,' _he thought and sank deeper into his leafy hiding place. They were highly unlikely to spot him, night had fallen and the thick trees didn't let in much light anyway.

Meta Knight tightened his grip on Galaxia. If he knew they would listen to him, he would show himself, but right now, he would most likely end up dead if he did.

* * *

><p>Blizzard woke in the hospital wing of the GSA-ship. He could see white sheets that were stained red with blood. His blood, as he realized. A pounding pain throbbed in his sword-arm.<p>

Groaning, he turned around and found himself face-to-face with a Waddle Dee. The small creature tilted its head to the side. More Waddle Dees stood around the room, not paying attention to him.

Slowly, Blizzard remembered what had happened. The fight, how he had been encircled by enemies...

Suddenly he shot up and tried to get out of the bed. Meta Knight; a half-demon. He needed to know what had happened to him.

However, his legs didn't want to carry him. Pain shot through his body when they buckled and he fell to the floor. Instantly, a couple of Waddle Dees rushed toward him and put him back on the bed. Blood soaked his bandages, telling him that his wounds had opened again.

The Waddle Dees swarmed around him, replacing them already. Blizzard bit his lip, knowing he couldn't get to the others right now. He turned to a Waddle Dee to his left: "Please fetch Sir Arthur; now."

The small creature nodded and walked toward the door, but before it reached it, it opened. Sir Dragato entered, followed by Sir Falspar. The soldiers hurried to his bed.

"Sir Blizzard Knight?," Falspar asked, "Are you okay?" Blizzard nodded and pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Where's Sir Meta Knight?," he asked.

"He fled," Dragato explained, "We sent out a patrol to hunt him down."

"What? !," Blizzard asked and tried to get up, "Why? !"

"He's a demon... and he tried to kill you, Sir," Falspar said with a look like Blizzard had gone insane. The High Prince jumped out of the bed and pulled Falspar close by the mask.

"We have to stop them. Meta Knight was saving me," he growled, "Demon or not, he deserves a fair trial!"

With that, the white puffball spun around and left the room, doing his best not to limp. If Arthur thought that Meta Knight was their enemy, the GSA-leader would do everything to hunt him down.

And as Blizzard knew his brother, the golden-armored puffball wouldn't even take into account that Meta Knight was one of the last Star Warriors.

* * *

><p>Meta Knight sat in his tree and watched how the patrol roamed through the undergrowth of the forest. Why hadn't Blizzard told them the truth?<p>

_'Because I'm partly a demon,' _he thought and bared his teeth.

The patrol continued their search somewhere else; Meta heard their steps fade away. Sighing, he leaned against a branch. If he had chosen Nightmare's side, he wouldn't be in this mess now. Yet he knew he could never do that in good conscience.

A rustle jerked him out of his thoughts. For a few heartbeats, he sat there, frozen, and listened. Someone was coming in his direction and whoever it was, he or she was limping badly.

A quick peek through the leaves showed him a figure in blue and white.

_'Blizzard,' _he thought with a growl. Anger boiled up inside him. His inner demon seemed to howl at this, trying to take over. Why should he fight it?

After all, he had set his mind on revenge as well.

* * *

><p>Blizzard stumbled through the forest. His wounds had opened again and crimson blood stained his bandages. Now that he thought about it, it probably hadn't been a good idea to go after Arthur on his own. His breath was ragged from pain and he felt dizzy from the blood loss.<p>

That was most likely the reason why he didn't hear the rustle of someone approaching before something dark landed in front of him. The Prince froze and stared as the creature slowly straightened up.

_'Oh no...,' _he thought. It was obviously Meta Knight and then again, it wasn't. Blood red gloves held Galaxia; crimson colored eyes glared at him and Blizzard could tell the creature was smirking beneath its mask. A tattered, dark gray cape flapped around a black body as the demon came closer with small steps of its scarlet feet.

"Meta Knight?," Blizzard asked, hoping to find the true Meta inside the demon. He only got a hiss for an answer.

"Look, I don't want to fight you," Blizzard tried, "Just to talk."

The dark creature stopped and for a heartbeat, Blizzard hoped his words had woken the true Meta. These hopes were quenched when the demon tilted its head to the side.

"Well, that's too bad," he sneered and Blizzard noticed how different his voice sounded, "Because I have no qualms to attack you."

Blizzard slowly unsheathed his sword and winced from the injury on his arm. The demon lifted Galaxia, ready to strike. Very slowly, Blizzard stretched out his arm – and let go of his sword.

The gem encrusted weapon fell to the leaf-strewn ground, shimmering against the dark earth.

"Rule one," Blizzard said quietly, "Never attack an unarmed opponent." He knew he was playing a dangerous game by exposing himself like this, but he knew he had no choice.

The dark warrior stared down on the sword and for a brief second, his eyes flashed golden. Blizzard made a step toward him, arms outstretched to show he wasn't attacking.

Suddenly, the creature's head snapped up; its eyes were deep red again. Blizzard froze and the demon charged. The white warrior dodged the first blow of Galaxia and tried to avoid the foot that kicked him.

But his wounds made him slower and less agile; he was hit. With a yelp of pain, he was slammed into a tree. The demon came running toward him and the white prince barely got away from the blade as it struck a second time.

The metal buried itself into the bark behind Blizzard. The white warrior saw his chance and aimed a kick at the evil creature. It was hurtled away, but soon got up again.

Blizzard made a step backwards, but his left leg gave way and he stumbled. He knew he was bleeding badly by now.

_'Please, Meta... You're better than that,' _he thought.

* * *

><p>"Did you hear that?"<p>

Kirameki looked at the other members of her patrol.

"It sounded like a cry of someone in pain," she added. Nonsurat and Arthur listened carefully. The sound of a struggle was coming from close by.

"That way," Sir Nonsurat muttered and pointed in the direction from which they had come.

Nodding, Sir Arthur started running, closely followed by Nonsurat and Kirameki.

* * *

><p>Meta Knight watched Blizzard stumble. He fought the red haze that filled his mind, but he couldn't control it. He had to watch helplessly when his body moved against his will, charging Blizzard again.<p>

Unfolding his wings, he leaped at the white warrior; he aimed for Blizzard's throat. That foolish prince hadn't even put his armor on!

... Where did that thought come from? Meta didn't know. He felt like a second being was controlling him, a being that was darker than the darkest night.

Galaxia flashed and struck. A weight slammed into him from the side; the sacred blade missed Blizzard by a hair. Meta Knight hit a tree and felt a piercing pain in his left wing.

Screeching with pain, he started to struggle, but that only ripped the delicate skin of his wing. Looking down through the haze of pain, he saw that a sword nailed him to the wood behind him.

He lifted his gaze and saw Kirameki who had flown at him and now looked like she was scared of what she had done. Then the other being took over Meta again. He struggled with new energy, hardly noticing how his wing tore and blood leaked out. He had almost freed himself when Arthur and Dragato emerged from the bushes.

Three silver blurs came toward him and he let out a scream of agony when his wings were nailed to the tree by kunai. Yamikage stepped out of the undergrowth, followed by three of his ninja. They nodded at the GSA-soldiers, but didn't say a word.

The demon had stopped struggling for he was barely conscious; slowly, his color reverted to blue and his bat-like wings brightened from their dull gray color.

Yamikage unsheathed his katana: "Let's finish this." He walked up to Meta Knight and lifted his weapon, preparing to kill the blue Star Warrior. As his silver blade came down, Meta barely looked up.

The sound of metal hitting metal was heard and Yamikage's eyes widened. His katana was blocked by a familiar gem encrusted sword. Blizzard had gotten up and stopped the ninja's attack.

Yamikage's ninja tensed up at this, but the red-eyed warrior held up a hand to show them that everything was fine.

"Mind to explain why you're stopping me from killing this demon?," he asked, eyes locking with Blizzard's.

"Because that demon is also a Star Warrior – one of the last I might add." The white puffball glanced at Arthur, signaling him that this was also directed at him. Yamikage pulled his katana back.

A deep, evil chuckle came from him. Arthur, Blizzard, Kirameki and Dragato stared at the ninja in confusion. The sound of katana that were unsheathed became audible as Yamikage's ninja prepared for battle.

"It's time that N.M.E. gets rid of that scum called Star Warriors," Yamikage growled and spun around, aiming his katana at the surprised Blizzard. The blade hit him full force and buried in his flesh with a sickening noise.

Blood stained the leaves as the High Prince of Galora fell. Growling, Sir Arthur charged Yamikage and the battle began. Kunai and shuriken flew as Yamikage's ninja jumped into action.

Meta Knight watched them through the mist of pain that the kunai nailing him to the tree caused him. He watched how Kirameki fell under the katana of a female, violet ninja; the young puffball collapsed, her eyes wide and sightless.

That seemed to wake him from his trance. Growling, Meta Knight broke free from the kunai, ignoring the pain when his skin ripped.

He attacked the ninja that had killed his comrade with Galaxia, pushing her back. She tried to deflect his blows, but finally failed to parry a strike. Galaxia's tip cut her forehead open, but she refused to back down; another blow left two more cuts on her.

She stumbled and fell down; Meta prepared to finish her off, but a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He spun around and deflected the shuriken that was thrown at him.

It had been Yamikage's who now ran at the blue warrior.

"Get outta here, Nyela," Yamikage growled at the violet ninja. She nodded, blood oozing from the cuts on her forehead, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Galaxia and the katana seemed to dance with each other as Meta tried to slash Yamikage. The ninja was skilled, the blue puffball had to admit that. He blocked a shuriken coming at him and kicked Yamikage.

The ninja stumbled and lost his grip on his katana. The steel was hurtled away and landed on the ground beside the ninja. Yamikage glanced around quickly, finding that his men were easily overpowered.

After throwing a quick glance at Blizzard, he turned back to Meta: "One out. Two more to go."

With that, he spun around and called: "Retreat!" His ninja nodded briefly and all three disappeared in clouds of smoke.

As soon as they were gone, Sir Arthur raced toward his brother. Meta Knight stared at the spot where Yamikage had disappeared.

_**Two more to go...**_ With that he meant him and Galacta Knight, Meta Knight was sure. So Yamikage had been working for N.M.E. without him knowing? At least that explained how Nightmare had known about Meta's actions.

He looked at Kirameki's dead body and felt a wave of sadness coming over him; the recruit had given her life for the GSA.

"He's breathing!"

The surprised call came from Arthur who had knelt down beside Blizzard. The white warrior lied on the ground; blood leaked on the leaves from a deep cut that went across his chest. His eyes were closed, but there was indeed a shallow rising and falling of his body.

Dragato walked over, taking no notice of Meta, and looked down on the High Prince as well.

"He won't survive if he doesn't get treated soon," he remarked.

"We won't be able to get him to the palace in time," Sir Arthur muttered, his voice slightly shaking.

"I could take him there; flying might be fast enough."

The two soldiers spun around and faced Meta Knight.

"Why should we trust you?," Sir Dragato asked with a hiss.

"Do you have a choice?"

Dragato didn't answer; instead, he turned to Arthur, waiting for him to make a decision. The golden-armored puffball nodded very slowly and stepped aside. Meta walked over to Blizzard carefully grabbed him.

"Are you serious, Sir?," he could hear Dragato ask disbelievingly, but ignored it. Flapping his torn wings, Meta ascended from the ground, carrying the injured Blizzard.

It took him a lot of strength to stay in the air with his wings damaged like this, but he would do his best. He felt the white prince stir in his grip. Blizzard looked up at him, eyes dull with pain.

"Meta Knight? What are you-?," he asked.

"It's called repaying the debt," Meta cut him off, his tone neutral and free from all emotion. Blizzard wanted to answer something, but passed out before he could.

_'You helped me, now I help you. A single time.'_

* * *

><p><strong>I don't own anything. Blizzard and Galora belong to Flamefox2, Kirameki is Lunara the ara's; Nyela belongs to me. And since this wasn't really clear in the last chapter: Amai and Kimu were both killed in the battle with the Destrayer and the Daseki.<strong>

** Flamefox2: I hope I answered your question/s. Lady power for the win! XP**

**CyanideSpirit: Thanks. :) I hope that's soon enough.**

**And for all the silent readers: As much as I refuse to work only for reviews, I'm still happy to get them. **

**R&R please!  
><strong>


	17. To show true colors

Meta Knight sat on the bed in his room on the GSA-ship. The door wasn't locked, but he wasn't sure if he was allowed to go. Not even the GSA seemed to be sure whether he was a prisoner or not.

Since Kimu had been killed in the fight with the Destrayer and his other room-mate had moved out, he was alone. A few Waddle Dees had fixed his wings, but nobody else had gotten in contact with him for the two days he had been here. Until now.

With a hissing sound, the door slid open. A white puffball entered, his sky-blue cape waving behind him. Blizzard.

The High Prince of Galora was bandaged and a bit shaky on his feet as he walked in. The door slid shut behind Blizzard, but he didn't go farther. Meta Knight said nothing.

"Thanks," Blizzard said finally. When he got no answer, he added: "For getting me to the palace."

"As I said," Meta Knight muttered, "I was returning the favor. You saved me from Yamikage." They were quiet again.

Blizzard sighed, finally breaking the silence. "I can't get rid of the feeling that there's more about you than you told us," he said. Meta Knight just shrugged.

"Listen," Blizzard said, a trace of impatience in his voice, "I might be able to help you, but if you don't talk me-"

Meta Knight cut him off with a hiss: "I don't need help!" The white puffball crossed his arms and rose a brow.

"Really?," he asked, "What about that... thing you turned into in the forest? It didn't look like you could handle it." Meta turned away and faced the wall. Sighing, Blizzard made another step toward the blue puffball.

He lied his hand on Meta's shoulder-plate gently. The blue knight stiffened, but didn't say anything. For a while, the only sound was their breathing. Then, Meta spoke up.

Quietly and hesitantly, he murmured: "Have you ever heard of a demon beast named Kittari Hattari?"

"Slice n' Splice?"

"Yes."

Meta Knight looked up sharply: "How much did Sir Arthur tell you about Galacta Knight?" Blizzard blinked, stunned.

"He's partly a demon," he muttered, "And the GSA sort of raised him."

Meta nodded: "Right. Except for the word 'he'."

Blizzard stared at him; Meta Knight had closed his eyes as if he was recalling something. "Nightmare once created a being by conflating a Star Warrior with a demon beast. He wanted it as his ultimate weapon; but it was too powerful and turned against N.M.E." He paused for a few seconds.

Should he really give away that secret? But now he had started, so he could as well go on. "He ordered Kittari Hattari to split the creation," he said, "The result were Galacta Knight... and me." He saw how Blizzard's eyes widened a bit, but didn't stop.

"Galacta Knight looked too much like a demon for his plans, so he threw her away. He raised me," he explained, "and sent me to infiltrate the GSA." He went silent; he had decided not to tell Blizzard how Galacta Knight was sealed away now, nor about their bond that would kill the other as well if one was killed.

Blizzard remained silent, his eyes fixed on a point somewhere above Meta Knight's shoulder. "What do you know about that dark... thing you turned into?," he asked finally, still not looking Meta in the eyes.

The blue puffball shrugged slightly: "I assume it is my inner demon. I usually manage to fight it back, though." Silence fell once more. This time, Meta Knight was the one to break it.

"Sir?," he asked, "Will you tell Sir Arthur?"

Blizzard looked away: "You know I must." Meta Knight's clenched his fists, but merely nodded. The white puffball looked at him in mild concern.

"Don't worry," he said encouragingly, but at the same time kind of uncertain, "The GSA needs warriors; they will accept you in their ranks anyway."

Meta Knight spun around, eyes blazing scarlet with anger. Fury radiated from him when he hissed: "That's not the point! I fought off the Daseki and the ninja, I reclaimed Galaxia and turned against N.M.E. which could've cost my life! I don't want to be accepted because _there is a shortage of warriors._"

At the last words, his voice darkened; slightly worried, Blizzard noticed how the blue puffball's body-color turned darker. Seemingly shocked about this, Meta Knight's eyes widened a bit. His skin turned navy blue again.

"It's getting stronger," Meta muttered, successfully suppressing a shiver.

Blizzard sighed: "That's what it looks like." Suddenly, a smirk appeared on the white prince's lips. Meta rose a brow under his mask.

The High Prince of Galora unsheathed his sword: "You still fight it, you fool. If you had just given in, this would be less painful for you..." He laughed sinisterly and charged Meta, who dodged.

"What the heck is wrong with you?," Meta Knight yelled and unsheathed Galaxia. He got no reply; Blizzard was attacking again, his eyes tinted black.

"You're a goner, Meta."

* * *

><p>Sir Arthur rubbed his eyes behind his visor tiredly. He sat in the hospital wing of the ship; he had hardly moved from there since the Waddle Dees had patched Blizzard up and placed him on a bed.<p>

The High Prince of Galora still lied there, barely breathing and not conscious.

"Oh brother," Arthur muttered, "Why do you always risk your foolish neck?" He shook his head slightly. In these times, it was a real burden to lead the GSA.

They had lost many soldiers in the battle with the Destrayer and now they had lost the allegiance with some of the ninja as well; not to mention that there was a demon aboard the ship whose intentions were far from clear.

The sound of someone approaching quickly jerked him out of his thoughts. He straightened himself, hiding his emotions. The door opened and Dragato hurried inside. He was bleeding from a cut on his head.

"Sir Arthur!," he called, "The demon broke lose!" He felt his blood run cold; of course he knew which demon Dragato meant.

"Where?," he asked and stood up.

"Sector 3."

Arthur nodded curtly and hurried out of the room, Dragato following. As they raced down the halls, they could hear the sound of battle coming closer. The stench of fire and smoke filled the air, growing more intense with every step they came closer to sector 3.

They rounded a corner and were almost hit by a warrior that was thrown down the corridor. Flames crackled; even though it should be impossible for metal to burn, the hall was lit on fire.

A dark shape moved around the hallway, so fast it was barely more than a blur. The soldiers that attacked it were thrown back easily, brought down by its flame-shaped, silver sword.

It paused for a few seconds and looked at Arthur. It _was _Meta Knight – somehow. His bat-like wings were gray and tattered, his body darkened to a black hue. His gloves and feet were bright scarlet and his eyes shone red with menace.

He flapped his wings and attacked Arthur who parried the first blow easily. With a mad chuckle, the dark being flew at the GSA-leader again.

"Meta Knight, stop it!," Arthur yelled as he dove to the side.

The demon laughed: "Meta Knight? I've dealt with that pathetic fool already." Arthur dodged again and aimed a blow at the demon's wings, but missed.

"Who are you then?," the golden-armored puffball asked with a growl. The demon flung away two soldiers that were attacking him. The warriors that were still standing backed away slowly.

The demon chuckled, spun around and grabbed Arthur. Pressing him into a wall a few meters above the ground, the dark figure growled: "Feel free to address me as Dark Meta Knight."

Then, he simply disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Arthur landed on the ground and got up again. Now that Dark Meta Knight was gone, the fire in the hallway died down quickly.

Sir Dragato ran over to Arthur: "Are you okay, Sir?" The golden-armored puffball didn't answer.

Instead, he hurried down the corridor. His soldiers made surprised noises, but followed him quickly, their steps making clicking noises on the floor.

* * *

><p>Nightmare floated in front of his chess-board. He carefully picked up one of the figures that stood on it and placed it on a different spot.<p>

Then, he lifted up a different figure and crushed it in his bony hand.

"Checkmate, Star Warriors," he said, a wide smirk appearing on his face.

"Master?"

N.M.E. turned around when he was addressed. Four ninja were kneeling in front of him, Yamikage being the one who had spoken.

"We have full-filled our part of the deal. Now you have to do the same," Yamikage said, not looking up from the ground. Nightmare knew that even the ninja were afraid of him, but they were too useful to him to ditch them; yet.

"Don't worry," Nightmare said, "You will have your revenge."

* * *

><p>A gasp came from Dragato when the GSA-members entered Meta Knight's room. A sour stench hung in the air; Meta Knight lied facedown on the ground.<p>

Pools of bright green acid were dotted around the room. The ones closest to Meta had turned into a sickening brown color from the scarlet blood that leaked out from several wounds on the blue puffball. Just when Arthur tried to get closer to Meta, the Star Warrior stirred.

His bruised arms trembled with the effort of pushing his body up, but he managed to lift his face far enough up to lock eyes with Arthur.

"What happened?," the golden-armored puffball asked, frowning under his mask. He wasn't coming closer to the injured Meta now, unsure if this might be a trap.

Meta Knight's eyes shone a faint gray when he muttered: "They got away." Then, he collapsed again and passed out.

_**Blizzard attacked him again, his eyes tinted black: "You're a goner, Meta." **_

_**Meta Knight dived out of the way, closely followed by the prince. All signs of pain and injuries had vanished from the Blizzard. He cornered Meta, who didn't want to attack him at all, and used his sword to pierce his cape and nail the blue warrior to the wall. **_

_**Meta Knight struggled to get free, but his attempts were futile. Growling, he held Galaxia over his head to shield himself from Blizzard's blows. Suddenly, the hits stopped. Meta glanced up. **_

_'That isn't Blizzard Knight,' __**he thought and felt a growl rise in his throat. **_

_**"Who are you really?," he hissed, once more trying to get free **__**without success. The white puffball took a step back, smirking evilly. **_

_**His whole body started to glow as he started to grow. He became larger and his color turned into a pale green; all features vanished, leaving only the eyes. The demon that was towering Meta now looked like an upright caterpillar. **_

_**Despite the fact it had now recognizable mouth, Meta Knight heard it speak. **_

_**"Remember me now?" **_

_**"Popon," the blue puffball hissed. **_

_**"Indeed, it's me, traitor." Without looking at Meta Knight, Popon turned around and faced a shady corner; Meta could see movement from there and stiffened.**_

_** Another demon beast emerged from the gloom. Meta Knight blinked and froze.**_

_** "Kittari Hattari," he muttered, his voice sharp with anger and a tad of fear. **_

_**"You know," Popon stated with mild interest, "I always wondered what would happen if an already split creature is split again..." **_

_**Meta Knight's eyes widened and flashed red. He started struggling again, furiously trying to get free. Kittari Hattari approached him slowly and rose his moon-scepter. **_

_**It flashed in the twilight when Slice n' Splice brought it down. A hot, mind-numbing pain struck Meta Knight. He felt like his insides were ripped apart; he writhed against the sword that held him to the wall while a scream of agony escaped his lips. **_

_**Then the pain was gone abruptly; panting, Meta Knight went limp. A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention; a second Meta Knight stood there and it looked exactly like his dark form. He held a silver version of Galaxia, telling Meta that his sword had been split, too. **_

_**Dark Meta Knight examined his body carefully. Then, he turned around to face Meta Knight. The blue puffball and finally managed to pull the sword out of the wall; he felt utterly weak, like a part of him was missing. However, he wouldn't show that to the demon Meta. **_

_**Growling, he lifted his half of Galaxia. Dark Meta Knight chuckled evilly and ran at him. Meta Knight had to fight back a sudden dizziness, but managed to parry the blow. **_

_**However, the impact made him stumble backwards. Popon let out a squeal of delight and threw one of his segments at him. Meta Knight sidestepped, but he was to weak and stumbled. **_

_**The segment hit the floor beside him and turned into acid. Droplets of the green liquid hit his skin and burnt it. Gritting his teeth, Meta Knight rose on wobbly legs. **__'I won't give up yet.' _

_**Dark Meta Knight dove at him and before the blue warrior could react, the demon slashed his arm. Meta gasped and dropped Galaxia. Another acid-bomb missed him by a hair, thrown by Popon. Snarling with anger and pain, he rolled out of the way. **_

_**His dark half laughed and unfolded his tattered wings, ascending from the ground to avoid the dangerous liquid. Meta did the same, but as soon as his wings appeared, Dark Meta Knight struck; a sickening crack was heard as the fragile bones snapped. **_

_**Fighting back tears of agony, the blue puffball dropped to the ground. Acid burnt his left foot that had landed in a puddle on the floor. Panting, the blue warrior picked up Galaxia; the wound on his arm sent waves of pain through him, but he didn't let go. **_

_**Gritting his teeth, he faced the dark Meta again. The demon had landed in front of him. The glimmer in his crimson eyes told Meta that he was smirking, reveling in the blue soldier's pain. **_

_**"Just give up," he said with an evil chuckle, "And I will finish you off almost painless." **_

_**"Never." **_

_**With that, Meta Knight gathered the strength he had left and dove at the demon. Dark Meta Knight dodged, but the blade grazed his wing, tearing the delicate skin. The dark Meta gave a yelp of pain, then growled: "Still fighting me? Well, I offered you the less painful option-" **_

_**"I would rather die than giving in!" **_

_**"Fine," the demon smirked. He flew at Meta, easily disarming him, and pinned him to the ground. He landed several painful hits on his blue counterpart's back, laughing at the pain. **_

_**"Don't kill him, idiot!," Popon called. Dark Meta Knight looked up, the dark Galaxia risen for the final strike. **_

_**"Why?," he asked impatiently, his eyes glittering with anger. **_

_**"He is a part of you," Popon explained, "If he dies, you will fall as well." The dark Meta's eyes widened slightly and he withdrew his sword; he held the struggling Meta Knight down with one foot. **_

_**Bowing down to his counterpart, the demon hissed: "Be glad I need you alive." **_

_**Meta Knight growled and tried to reach Galaxia that lied a few centimeters out from his reach. Chuckling, the demon gave the sacred blade a boot; it was hurtled away with a clattering sound, landing at the opposite wall. **_

_**"Let's see if your little GSA-friends are better opponents," Dark Meta Knight said scornfully. He removed his foot from Meta Knight's back and kicked his counterpart, catapulting him across the room. **_

_**Meta Knight hit a wall and dropped to the floor, unable to continue the battle. His head was dizzy and foggy; he numbly noticed that **__**he was bleeding and that one of his wings was broken in several places, but couldn't focus. **_

_**The last thing he saw before passing out were the three demon beasts leaving the room, heading to attack the GSA. Then his vision went black.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Another chapter. I'm running out of good titles... ^^" The Disclaimer can be found in the other chapters, I won't type it our again.<strong>

**Lunara the ara: She died in a really noble way...**

**Lupus Silvae: First of all: Thank you; this is one of the longest reviews I ever got. And I feel honored, knowing that you don't review much :3 My updates will be less frequent once school starts again ;) I'm not too fond of OCs either, but - as you said - they are required here, because there are so few GSA-members introduced in the anime. For Galacta Knight: I understand what you mean, but I like lady-power in my stories^^" Looks like I tend to twist twisted characters even more...**

**Flamefox2: Star Warriors... always noble xD I already gave you the answer via PM...**

**CyanideSpirit: Thanks!**

**R&R plz!  
><strong>


	18. Surrender?

Meta Knight woke with a start, the smell of acid still filling his nose. He felt cold sweat on his forehead, but had enough control over his body to stop it from trembling.

_'What happened?,' _he asked himself groggily and looked around. He found only darkness; he could merely make out that he was laying on something soft.

Stiffening, he tried to sit up; and regretted it at once. Sharp pain shot through every fiber of his body, allegorically setting it on fire. He suppressed a gasp and fell back.

His gloved hand grasped the soft fabric beneath him. Sheets? Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He was in the infirmary, no doubt. The clean, white look was distinctive. He gritted his teeth and ignored the pain when he sat up. His wings were unfolded, one of them sticking out in an odd angle.

He gazed around again – curtains blocked his view, but he could see a figure that lied on the bed beside him. Should he call this person? Then again, what good would that do?

The sudden sound of footsteps startled him. He could hear the door open and instinctively reached for Galaxia's hilt, laying his gloved hand around the metal. The fact it was still where it was supposed to was somewhat comforting.

Suddenly, brightness filled the room, blending him. He squeezed his eyes shut; the light started a throbbing head-ache, but he refused to show it.

"Do you think he's awake?," asked a quiet voice. Meta Knight tried to assign it, but it had been too quiet and his pounding head didn't make it any easier. He could hear two sets of feet on the floor, coming toward him.

He knew he could only hope that whoever was approaching was friendly. In his current state, he couldn't defend himself and he knew that.

Then, the curtains were pulled back to reveal Dragato and Arthur. Meta Knight tensed up; he knew very well that Dragato wasn't too fond of him. Both warriors paused when they saw he was awake. The blue puffball looked back at them in silence.

Finally, Sir Arthur cleared his throat and said: "You have a lot to explain, Sir Meta Knight."

_'He tries to keep it formal,' _Meta Knight thought, _'Maybe he will really hear me out.' _

Aloud he said: "I know."

Sir Dragato looked like he wanted to say something harsh, but Arthur silenced him with a look. Then he turned back to Meta, signaling him to start explaining. Meta Knight eyed them for a second, making sure that they weren't a demon beast in disguise.

"A demon beast named Popon attacked me," he started, "It disguised itself as Blizzard, but I saw through that. I guess it entered the ship looking like some soldier and turned into Blizzard before entering my room."

His voice remained calm while he spoke, but something flickered in his eyes; fear maybe. Or hate? He didn't even know himself.

Shaking his head slightly, he continued: "When Popon had immobilized me, Kittari Hattari showed up and split me. My dark half escaped-"

"Yeah, we already met him," Dragato muttered, scowling. Meta Knight remained silent. There was no way he would tell them about Galacta Knight or that he had been split before.

He still felt like a part of him was missing; not that he liked that part, but it felt odd when it wasn't there. He could hear Arthur giving orders to Dragato, but didn't pay enough attention to understand what exactly this orders were.

Finally, Dragato nodded and left. When the door had closed behind the violet warrior, Arthur turned around sharply.

"I'm not sure on which side you're on, demon," the golden-armored puffball muttered and Meta had to refrain from flinching, "But I can offer you a deal."

He looked at Meta expectantly. The blue puffball shrugged and grimaced beneath his mask when his wounds hurt.

Arthur dipped his head slightly and submitted his proposal: "You help us to bring down Dark Meta Knight and we won't only fix you up, but also let you go as you please."

Meta Knight didn't answer immediately; instead, he closed his eyes as if in thought. "The GSA has earned my respect and I would feel honored if I was allowed to fight side by side with its soldiers," Meta Knight said quietly and opened his eyes suddenly, locking his gaze with Arthur's, "But I cannot allow you to kill Dark Meta Knight."

There was a brief pause. The warriors held each other's gaze for several seconds, then Arthur broke the eye-contact.

"Of course I'm glad to hear that you think like this about the GSA," the golden-armored puffball said, keeping his tone formal and cold, "But Dark Meta Knight has to be destroyed."

"Then you will kill three."

Arthur stared at him. Meta Knight cursed himself silently; Arthur would insist on the subject now. Indeed, the GSA-leader had a curious glimmer in his eyes.

"Three?," he asked. Sighing, Meta decided that he could as well give in.

"If a creature has been split by Kittari Hattari, the two originating individuals share a bond that makes them dependent on each other. If one dies, the other will follow."

He hoped that Sir Arthur would only think of Dark Meta Knight and Meta Knight and forgot that the blue warrior had said "three". Unfortunately, his wishes weren't fulfilled.

"You said three. Who is the second person Dark Meta Knight has a bond with?"

Meta Knight bit his lip, knowing that he couldn't keep it secret, but at the same time refusing to give away everything. Sir Arthur was watching him closely. _'He would know if I lied,' _Meta thought.

He gave in: "Galacta Knight. She and I were split and I was split a second time." His tone was neutral, not giving away any feelings. Sir Arthur nodded slowly.

Understanding softened his voice when he replied: "I think I get the idea. I will see if I can find a different option." He turned around sharply and marched toward the door, leaving behind a surprised Meta.

"Sir?"

Arthur froze, his hand outstretched for the button that opened the door.

"Yes?," he asked, not turning around again.

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>Meta Knight started to grow more and more restless with every day he was forced to stay in the hospital wing. Now that his dark half wasn't there anymore, he was healing slower; three days had already passed. The Waddle Dees did their best to patch him up, but they had their limits.<p>

He sighed._ 'At least my wings are fixed.'_

To make things worse, the only one else in the hospital wing was Blizzard Knight, and the white puffball wasn't conscious. Meta tried to be patient, but even though he looked completely calm outside, his mind was screaming out how restless he was.

He shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable.

"Bored?"

Meta Knight was startled by the sudden voice. For a second, he thought it was Blizzard, but the white prince was still out cold. He heard a halfhearted chuckle and saw Jecra in front of his bed. Even with his mask on, he looked tired and somewhat sad; the loss of Amai had left him heart-broken. However, Jecra did his best not to show this.

"A bit," Meta Knight muttered finally.

The other warrior shrugged: "Well, I originally came because Arthur wants me to fetch you."

Meta's brow furrowed, but nevertheless he tried to get up. What could Sir Arthur want from him? Was it possible that he had found a way to render Dark Meta Knight harmless?

He grimaced when his battered body hurt while he got out of the bed. He noticed dark red spots on some of his bandages; some of his wounds must have opened again. Jecra had turned around again and didn't notice Meta's struggle.

The blue warrior closed his eyes for a split second to pull himself together, then wrapped his cape around himself and followed Sir Jecra. Their steps echoed around the ship when they walked down the halls.

"Where is everyone?," the blue puffball asked, trying to hide the curiosity in his voice.

"Arthur sent out a large patrol to search for Dark Meta Knight – the others are guarding Galora's capital," came the answer.

Meta fell silent, knowing that Jecra wasn't enjoying the conversation. He was glad that the door to Arthur's room was in sight already; Jecra had changed and his new self was far from the friendly comrade he had been.

* * *

><p>They entered Sir Arthur's room and found the GSA-leader bent over a map on his desk. When they entered, the golden-armored puffball looked up.<p>

"Sir Jecra. Sir Meta Knight."

At least Arthur didn't seem to disallow Meta Knight his title. The GSA-leader signaled them them to come closer. They obeyed and Arthur immediately came to the point.

"You both know about the demon beast that was set free by Kittari Hattari," he started, "And you also know that we can't kill it."

Meta assumed that Jecra had been inaugurated earlier, for the violet warrior simply nodded.

Arthur continued: "I have found a way to render him harmless without destroying him – but it's rather risky."

Meta Knight tensed up, a spark of hope rising in his chest.

"And that way would be?," Jecra broke the tense silence.

Arthur signaled over to the paper on his desk. The three soldiers gathered around the table, looking down on it. It looked old, as Meta noticed, yellow from the ravages of time. The ink on it had faded, but the small pictures on it were still visible.

Arthur cleared his throat and explained: "The oldest Kabu in the entire universe has more power than the others. Its wisdom is unequaled, but it has more than just knowledge."

He pointed at one of the small signs on the paper. Meta narrowed his eyes to make out what it displayed; the ink had almost disappeared at that spot. It seemed to show... a mirror?

"Said Kabu has the power to seal warriors away. But what we need is the Mirror of Shadows, a magical mirror that can keep even the most powerful demon beast imprisoned."

Sir Arthur finished his speech and looked at his soldiers. Jecra was the first to speak: "Which Kabu is it?"

Meta Knight knew already; he had known since Arthur had told them about its ability to seal away warriors. His thoughts were affirmed: "Kivi."

"That planet lays inside Nightmare's territory!," Jecra pointed out, a trace of uncertainty in his voice.

Sir Arthur nodded: "Indeed. But I'm willing to take that risk." Jecra looked doubtful, but didn't object.

_'They would risk that for me,' _Meta thought and couldn't help but feel grateful.

Just in that moment, the door flew open. Nonsurat, Dragato and Falspar entered. The stench of dried blood lingered around them.

Alarmed, Sir Arthur hurried towards them.

Dragato was the first to speak: "I'm sorry, Sir."

Jecra, Meta and Arthur tensed up at these words – this couldn't mean anything good.

"What happened?," Arthur asked sternly, his voice sharp with worry.

Nonsurat stepped forward: "We found Dark Meta Knight; but he wasn't alone. A whole group of demons attacked... We're the only ones that got away."

Meta Knight's eyes widened slightly; he had known that Dark Meta Knight was powerful, but this exceeded his worst misgivings. Arthur stared at the three warriors in disbelief and shock.

"I sent a whole unit with you," he said, "Some of our strongest warriors..." Nonsurat looked to the ground.

"We're sorry, Sir," he muttered. Slowly, Arthur walked over to his desk, rounded it and sat down on the chair behind it.

"This makes our situation a lot worse," he muttered, "There are hardly any warriors left."

"Then what will we do?"

The question came from Jecra, but everyone else in the room was thinking the same; Jecra was merely the one who said it aloud. The golden-armored puffball stared on his desk in silence.

His soldiers already thought he wouldn't answer at all, when he admitted: "I don't know. N.M.E. has overmatched us this time."

Five pairs of eyes stared at him in disbelief. Arthur had always been the one to continue fighting, even in the most hopeless situations. But there he sat, telling them he had been beaten.

The silence in the room was unbearable; tension seemed to crackle in the air. Meta Knight watched Arthur closely. Not even a year ago, the leader's defeated look would have caused him to rejoice. Now, he only felt a mixture of sadness and anger.

Then, an idea struck the blue warrior: "Sir, maybe we can find recruits on Galora. They all saw what Nightmare's Destrayer caused." Arthur remained silent, but Sir Jecra seemed to like the idea.

"Last time I was in town," he said, "I heard that many people would gladly battle N.M.E.'s forces."

Arthur looked up: "Really?" Jecra nodded.

New energy seemed to rise in Arthur when he stood up and announced: "Let's collect some fighters and finish this war – once and for all." Approving cheers were heard. Meta Knight didn't join in, but his eyes shone in a deep blue color.

_'Be prepared, Nightmare. This time, you will fall,' _he thought.

* * *

><p><strong>... <strong>

**But of course we know how it ends... :( Oh well. I still don't own anything and Blizzard is still Flamefox2's. I also uploaded a cover for this story on deviantArt (I'm TNIwWAT there).  
><strong>

**Flamefox2: Lol xD**

**CyanideSpirit: Thanks! Poor Mety, he is only a fourth now ôO"**

**Lunara the ara: Um... thanks? xD**

**Someone who loves this story: Good thing I allowed anonymous reviews xD Thanks so much :3 And if a honest feedback doesn't contain critic, I really feel flattered^^"**

**R&R plz! xD  
><strong>


	19. Plans gone wrong

Meta Knight looked at the GSA's new recruits. A colorful mix of all species, the only common thing about them the Warpstars. Could they really beat Nightmare with an improvisational army like this?

_'Then again... We have no choice but to try.' _Planet Kivi was coming closer and closer, but the recruits merely had a basic training – they were running out of time.

Sighing, Meta Knight turned away from the "soldiers" and joined Arthur and Blizzard on the command bridge. The brothers were navigating the giant ship easily and talked to each other quietly. Meta tried to catch their words, but only understood a few pieces of their conversation.

"...Is dangerous..."

"...Important battle..."

"...Mirror of Shadows!"

The blue puffball decided that they were merely discussing their plans and turned away again.

"You look pretty restless."

Meta Knight lifted a brow beneath his mask and searched for the one who had spoken. It had been Sir Jecra.

Meta shrugged, but remained silent while Jecra came closer. He didn't look at the blue Star Warrior, but it was obvious he was addressing him when he muttered: "I don't blame you. The fate of Dark Meta Knight will affect the fate of the whole universe."

They went silent, watching the giant window of the commando bridge.

They remained like this until the shrill noise of the sirens started. Red lights flashed.

"Destrayers ahead! They're coming our way!"

Three of Nightmare's disc-shaped ships approached them quickly. Meta Knight and Jecra quickly joined Blizzard and Arthur beside the helm. The white puffball did his best to dodge the adversarial ships.

Arthur pressed a few buttons and called: "Shields are activated!" A heartbeat later, an explosion shook the ship. The Destrayers had opened fire on them.

"Make the cannons ready," Blizzard said, gripping the steering wheel tighter, "It's time for payback." Sir Arthur nodded grimly and pressed more buttons.

"Cannons are ready."

The smirk was practically audible in Blizzard Knight's voice when he said: "Then we will show them the wrath of the Galaxy Soldier Army." He nodded at Jecra and Meta Knight; the warriors understood and went over to the levers that would make the canons shoot.

"Fire!," Blizzard commanded. Two perfectly aimed shots hit the first Destrayer that exploded in a giant fireball.

"Fire!," Arthur yelled and the second Destrayer was blown up; the third soon followed.

"That was easy," Blizzard said, sounding triumphant.

"Too easy, if you ask me," Arthur muttered and abruptly fell silent. More Destrayers came from ahead, dozens and dozens of them.

"Crud!," Blizzard muttered. Meta Knight and Jecra fired again and again, but every Destrayer they blew up, was immediately replaced by three more of the adversarial ships. It was hopeless battle. Another explosion shook the ship; a red warning light flashed on the control panel.

"Main cannon one has been hit," Arthur reported, "I'll activate the spring guns!"

A wave of small red projectiles flew at the Destrayers, but their shields easily deflected them. The ammo came flying back and destroyed the spring guns. Another warning light flashed. 

_'We don't stand a chance,' _Meta thought and gritted his teeth. Just then, a Destrayer collided with the ship and detonated.

"The engine is damaged!," Arthur called, "We're losing power!" The ship shook again.

"I have no control anymore," Blizzard hissed, "The control system must have been hit as well!"

At the next explosion, the lights went out; the only remaining light came from the shots that were aimed at them. Arthur looked at Blizzard for a few seconds; then both dipped their heads.

"We'll abandon the ship," Arthur muttered. Just in that moment another Destrayer collided with them, successfully destroying their last cannon.

"Hurry up!," Blizzard yelled and the four soldiers ran toward the hall with the star ships. Their recruits were there already.

"Get into those ships if you don't want to be blown up!," Arthur called. The new warriors went into action at this words, pushing and shoving to get into a ship.

Avoiding the main crowd, Meta Knight climbed into his ship and turned on the engine. It came to life with a roaring sound as Meta powered up the system.

"Radio circuit – established," he muttered. With a crackling sound, Blizzard's voice echoed through his ship.

"The gate won't open since we have no energy. Blizzard out."

A second later, Arthur spoke: "Then we'll have to shoot it open. Arthur out."

An explosion sounded and a massive force sucked them out into space when the gate was blown up. Meta gripped the steering wheel tighter and prepared to take over control. His radar showed him that the Destrayers took no notice of their leave and continued to attack the GSA-ship.

The radio equipment sizzled and a foreign voice said: "They aren't chasing us!"

"They won't until they completely destroyed the ship; that's what they were ordered to do. Jecra out."

The radio equipment went silent. Meta Knight kept his ship balanced and held a safe distance to his comrades. A thought crossed his mind and he picked up the radio set.

"Where are we going now?," he asked, "Meta Knight out." For a while, there was only hissing.

Then Arthur's voice answered: "Planet Janguru. It's thick forest should hide us from N.M.E.'s troops. Arthur out."

* * *

><p>It was so peaceful. That was what irritated Meta Knight most; they were in the middle of a war, but Janguru seemed to be completely unaffected by it.<p>

They had set up a small camp on a clearing; most warriors had gathered around the campfire that burned in the center. Meta was amongst them, yet he sat there all stiff and tense, like he didn't belong there.

Time went by and night fell. One by one, the soldiers went to sleep in the small tents. Finally, only Jecra and Meta were left on the fire.

"Tea?," Jecra offered and lifted a cup. Knowing that it would be rude to turn the offer down, Meta Knight nodded. Jecra handed him the cup; a thin line of steam rose from the hot drink.

Jecra sat on the other side of the fire, eying Meta through the flames. They cast flickering shadows on the surrounding trees; the gentle sound of their sleeping comrades' breath mixed with the crackle of the fire and the sound of insects in the forest. Jecra had closed his eyes, looking somewhat happy despite the recent events.

Meta Knight looked at his tea; as a half-demon, he didn't need to eat or drink and he wasn't going to try what happened if he did.

Finally, Jecra broke the silence: "You have grown into a fine warrior, Meta Knight."

"Thank you."

They were silent again. Suddenly, Meta's head snapped up: "Did you hear that?"

"No...," Jecra muttered and narrowed his eyes to see something in the dark woods. Then it was there again; a rustle.

_'Someone is coming... And I can tell it's not a friendly someone,' _Meta Knight thought and got up. Unsheathing Galaxia, he slowly approached the trees.

All of sudden, something big and solid jumped out from between them and crashed into him. Meta was thrown back and heard a cry of surprise from Jecra. Before they could react, they were surrounded by demon beasts.

"We're under attack!," Jecra called, "Wake up!" The warriors around them tried to get up, but the demons were already attacking. The first warriors fell before they even had a chance to pick up their weapons.

Meta Knight defeated a red demon that resembled a giant cat and found himself face-to-face with a worm-like demon beast. It clicked it pincers as it charged at the blue puffball, but Meta dodged. The screams of his dying comrades echoed in his ears, filling him with rage.

The worm shot forward, but Meta Knight rolled to the side, eyes tinted crimson.

"Jecra!"

Meta spun around at the call; he didn't know who had been the one to call, but he knew _why _the person had called. A giant flying demon had grabbed Jecra in its talons. As much as the violet warrior struggled, he couldn't free himself from the grip.

Arthur jumped high in the air, trying to reach for the warrior, but the beast was already too far away. Blizzard Knight ran up to him and unleashed a Sword Beam, yet it only hit a tree and cut off its tip.

A hiss from behind reminded Meta that he was still fighting the worm. A quick blow with Galaxia cut off the demon's head and Meta turned around again. The demons retreated slowly, pushed back by the still alive warriors.

The blue puffball stared at the spot where the flying demon had disappeared in disbelief and anger. His gloved hand cramped around Galaxia's hilt; Jecra's son had lost his mother already and he, Meta Knight, wouldn't allow that his father's life was taken as well. Jecra wasn't dead, he _couldn't _be.

"Are you okay, Meta Knight?," asked a voice from behind. Meta Knight tore his gaze off the sky and turned around. Arthur looked at him with mild concern.

"I'm fine," Meta Knight muttered, "But Jecra isn't."

The golden-armored puffball sighed: "We have to assume that this demon killed him..." Meta Knight gritted his teeth, but he knew that Arthur was right. Closing his eyes for a second, Meta Knight sheathed Galaxia and wrapped his cape around himself.

"Probably," he muttered.

"Well, _I _wonder how Nightmare knew we are here!," an angry voice snarled. Dragato came stamping toward them; his cape was torn and blood trickled down from a wound on his head.

"Someone must have told N.M.E. where we were going," he growled and glared a Meta. The blue puffball narrowed his eyes that flashed red with anger.

"I swear by Galaxia that I didn't betray you," he said calmly, but with an edge in his voice.

"How reliable can the word of a _demon _be?," Dragato hissed. Arthur stepped between them before any blood could be shed.

"Meta Knight, did you give any information to Nightmare?," he asked sternly.

Meta Knight shook his head: "I promise I didn't."

_'At least not this time,' _he added silently, _'But Arthur doesn't have to know that.' _ Dragato gave a disbelieving snort, but Arthur silenced him with a look.

"Then I belief you," he said and turned away, "Now go and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day."

* * *

><p>Meta Knight lied awake beside his star ship, the stars reflecting in his golden eyes as he stared to the sky. They had buried their fallen comrades and after Arthur had appointed a guard, everyone else had been commanded to go to sleep.<p>

Meta hadn't objected to that order, but he didn't fall asleep at all. Not only because he didn't need it – also because he wanted to be ready in case the demons returned. However, his mind was set on something else right now.

Dragato's words echoed in his head; Meta was sure that the violet puffball wasn't the only one suspicious towards him. He _was _a half-demon after all. And it was indeed strange how Nightmare had found them on Janguru.

He wrapped his cape tighter around himself; his gloved hand touched something he had hidden in the blue fabric. Pulling it out, he found that it was the feather from Galacta Knight. He looked at it for a few seconds, then a dreadful thought hit him.

_'Could it be-?' _

Suppressing a shiver, Meta carefully unfolded his wings – and froze. While his left wing looked exactly as it was supposed to, the right one didn't. The small claw that should sit on the wing's thumb was gone.

Meta's blood ran cold at the sight. If he could look into Galacta's mind with the feather, then Dark Meta Knight would be able to do the same to him if he had the claw. He was endangering his comrades simply by being with them.

On the other hand, if he left them, they would lose a warrior; in a time when they needed every fighter they could get. And they were hunting Dark Meta Knight anyway.

_'I won't leave,' _he thought, putting the feather back into his cape, _'I will stay and fight.'_

* * *

><p>Jecra floated in black nothingness. His body hurt where the bird-demon's talons had pierced his armor and the flesh beneath.<p>

The darkness surrounding him felt bone-crushing, but he found that he couldn't move at all. His breath came out ragged and shallow. He knew he wouldn't live much longer.

"Do you not have any regrets?," asked a deep voice and a faint glow appeared over him. Numb with pain, he could barely make out the bony hands that were held over him. He made a weak attempt to lift his arm, but it fell back instantly.

"Then you should take this," the voice continued with a sinister chuckle, "Your fading life may light once more."

The hands brought its forefingers together and a small, red spark formed between them. Slowly, it sank down on his chest – and entered it.

A burning heat filled Jecra's boding, radiating in waves from the spark. Too weak to scream, Jecra squeezed his eyes shut and hoped it would end. He was faintly aware that his whole body had started to glow scarlet and that lightning crackled across his armor.

Something inside him stirred; the temptation to _kill. _The hunger for _blood. _

No! He wasn't like this!

He longed for the feeling of bodies ripping under his sword...

Then his vision went black completely.

* * *

><p><strong>And another chapter :3 And I still own nothing :'(<br>**

**The next chapters will take a bit longer, 'cause I have a whole lot do for the next days and summer break is almost over, too. D:**

**Flamefox2: Yay for MK! And Blizzard made his return in this chapter :D**

**sparklespepper: Thanks! But no, Kirby isn't a part of Galacta Knight. As seen in "The Fofa-Factor"/"Lololo and Lalala: Melody of Love", Kirby is split into a male and a female part, so he was a full being before. (Because if a half creature is split again, this will create a light and a dark side while full beings are split into a female and a male side).**

**CyanideSpirit: Thank you so much!**

**R&R please!^^  
><strong>


	20. The great showdown, part 1

Meta Knight didn't sleep that night. Not at all.

But a few hours before the dawn, he drifted into a light slumber. In a way, he was still awake for he could still hear what was going on around him, but it all reached his mind slower. The footsteps that approached him were no exception from that.

Through the fog of subconsciousness, the information that someone was coming in his direction didn't reach his mind until said someone shook him. His eyes snapped open and he literally jumped to his feet, unsheathing Galaxia in the process.

"Whoa, come down, it's just me!," called a familiar voice. Meta realized it was Sir Falspar. The green soldier had risen his hands in a calming gesture, an amused glimmer in his yellow eyes. Meta Knight quickly sheathed Galaxia, fighting back the feeling of embarrassment that had started to rise inside him.

"Arthur wants to see you," Falspar muttered and signaled Meta to follow him.

The green warrior led him through the makeshift camp until they reached a rather large tent. Falspar entered, closely followed by Meta Knight. Gloomy twilight greeted them since the sun hadn't even started to rise yet.

Meta narrowed his eyes and tried to make out who was inside the tent already. Blizzard's white frame was clearly visible, as was Arthur's golden armor. The rather bright silhouette of Nonsurat wasn't hard to identify either. The last shape looked darker, but the ponytail told Meta that it must be Dragato.

The warriors stood around a round table that was covered in several papers. When Falspar and Meta entered, they looked up. Dragato made a disapproving noise and Meta Knight tensed up, but the violet warrior didn't say anything.

Arthur signaled them to come over. They did, and the GSA-leader continued what he had been saying earlier.

"We will land on Kivi today. After getting the Mirror of Shadows, we will find Dark Meta Knight and seal him in it. Questions?"

Dragato looked like he wanted to object, but he remained silent. _'Arthur probably talked to him earlier,' _Meta Knight thought.

"What if Nightmare has guards on Kivi?," Nonsurat asked, fiddling with his battle ax nervously.

"Then we will fight them," Blizzard growled, "We're _warriors _after all."

Arthur nodded: "Just as Blizzard said. N.M.E. may think he got rid of us by destroying the ship, but we will soon show him different!"

Cheers of agreement were heard, but Meta Knight remained silent. _'Do you really know what you're talking about?,' _the blue soldier thought bitterly.

* * *

><p>The remains of the once powerful GSA marched over planet Kivi with the determination of true warriors. They would fight; to the death if they had to.<p>

For Meta Knight, Kivi held painful memories; Garlude's death, Galacta Knight being sealed away... But it was also the place where he had learned the truth about himself – the fact he wasn't only a demon, but also a true Star Warrior.

"How long until we reach Kabu?," asked Falspar, jerking Meta out of his thoughts. They had refrained from landing anywhere close to the ancient stone so any flying demons wouldn't spot them.

Without answering, Arthur stopped. Blizzard almost crashed into his brother.

"Arthur, what-?," the white prince started and fell silent. The rest of their group stopped as well. A small figure came toward them. The rising sun looked like flames dancing behind it.

"Could it be?," Nonsurat asked quietly.

"Jecra!," someone called from behind, voice vibrating with joy. The warrior with the messy hair approached them with slow steps. Meta's heart felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from it: Jecra was alive!

Then the violet warrior came close enough for the blue puffball to see his face and his joy melted like ice in the sun. Jecra's eyes gleamed maliciously red, an evil aura radiating from him.

A female puffball beside Meta gave a joy filled cry and tried to run toward Jecra. Meta Knight quickly pushed her to the side and she fell to the ground. Calls of surprise came from the GSA, but they soon went silent again.

Demon beasts came flying from behind Jecra, ready to attack the out-numbered soldiers.

"Get into an attack-position!," Arthur yelled, jerking them out of their frozen state. The first demons reached them, but fell under the weapons of the determined warriors. Meta Knight looked at his former friend sadly.

"I'm sorry Jecra. I'm sorry."

Then he jumped at Jecra, closely followed by Blizzard. The two Star Warriors teamed up against Jecra, trying to stop him. Blizzard landed a blow on Jecra's sword arm, but the possessed warrior didn't seem to notice. No matter what injuries they caused the violet warrior, he didn't slow down.

Blizzard jumped in the air. "Sword Be-" But before he could unleash the beam, a giant crow-like demon slammed into him, literally throwing him back to the ground.

Jecra used the opportunity to disappear in the crowd of battling creatures. The crow started to pick the ground, trying to get Blizzard. Meta ran toward the prince, intending to help him, but Blizzard shook his head violently.

Dodging the demon's beak another time, he yelled: "Get the Mirror of Shadows!"

Then the crow caught him, throwing him across the battle-field. Meta's first intention was to disobey him and help anyway, but he knew the mirror was more important. He spun around and ran into the direction of Kabu, but someone stepped in his way. _'Jecra!' _

The former GSA-soldier aimed a heavy blow at Meta, but the blue puffball dodged. Galaxia's blade hit Jecra's shield, causing a small shower of sparks and a high pitched noise. Jecra charged at Meta, this time aiming for the Star Warrior's throat. Not even the steel of his mask would protect him from the force.

Nevertheless, Meta dove forward. _'I'm sorry,' _he thought and felt how his sword buried itself into Jecra's chest. Bones and muscles gave way under the golden blade, ripped away by the flame-shaped weapon.

Jecra dropped his sword a heartbeat before it pierced Meta Knight's mask, gasping with pain. He fell to his knees, letting go of his shield as well. Meta pulled Galaxia out of the dying opponent. The sacred blade showed no signs of blood, revealing that Jecra had indeed become a demon. Jecra lied on his back by now, eyes half-closed.

"I'm sorry," Meta Knight repeated. Suddenly, Jecra grabbed something on his chest. Slowly, he rose his fist that held a golden amulet. Meta Knight stared at it. Jecra's breath stopped and his hand fell limply to the ground.

The impact with the ground opened the amulet, revealing a small picture. It showed Jecra's son. Meta felt sick; he had just killed the father of this little child.

_'I had no choice... Nightmare controlled him,' _he told himself and the feeling disappeared. He picked up the amulet, closed it and put it in his cape. If he ever got the chance, he would pass it on to Jecra's son. That was all he could do. Right now, he had a different mission to accomplish.

With a last look at Jecra's dead body, he turned away and ran towards Kabu once more. He could see the ancient stone in the distance already, when he was stopped a second time. A whizzing sound became audible and he spun around just in time to see several kunai fly at him.

He brought up Galaxia and deflected them, but missed one. It pierced his foot and lodged him to the ground. He gasped as pain shot through his body; every little move he made only worsened his ordeal.

Then the ground shook violently; a giant paw stood in front of him. Looking up, Meta's blood ran cold. A massive dragon-demon towered him, casting its shadow over him. And on its head stood no other than...

"Yamikage," he growled at the ninja and winced a second later when the kunai refrained him from moving.

Yamikage chuckled: "Did you miss me?" Meta Knight only snarled.

"You know," the ninja said almost bored, "That dragon could easily burn you to ashes." He jumped down and walked toward Meta Knight with the calmness of a snake preparing to kill.

He got out his katana and continued: "But I wouldn't find any satisfaction in that. I want to be the one to end your life." He stopped a few meters away from Meta Knight and flicked his wrist. The kunai nailing Meta Knight to the ground disappeared in a cloud of smoke and re-appeared in the ninja's hand.

He leaned closer to Meta who had to stop himself from shaking from the pain in his foot: "I want you to fight me to the death."

"Sure," Meta growled and lifted Galaxia, "But it will end with _your _death, not mine."

_'Not while I still have a mission,' _he added silently. In the distance, they could hear how the GSA battled the demons, but their own battle-field was silent.

Yamikage charged at Meta, katana outstretched. Meta Knight side-stepped and winced when his foot hurt. Nevertheless he spun around quickly and tried to stab Yamikage's back, but the ninja dodged, jumped and landed behind Meta Knight. A painful blow threw Meta Knight down.

He lied on the dusty ground, panting from pain and exhaustion. It shouldn't end like this...

Suddenly, rage flared up inside the blue puffball – before Yamikage could react, he spun around again and stabbed him. The ninja held his bleeding shoulder hissing in pain.

_'Blood... he's acting on his own free will!'_

The thought only made Meta angrier. With a rage-filled cry, he charged at the ninja, ignoring his bleeding wound. Yamikage's red eyes narrowed as he dodged and threw a shuriken.

Meta Knight blocked it with Galaxia and continued to run at the ninja, hardly slowing down for his defense-move. Yamikage staggered backwards.

"This isn't over yet," he snarled. Then, both the ninja and the dragon-demon disappeared in clouds of smoke. Galaxia hit the spot where Yamikage had been standing a second earlier; Meta growled in frustration.

_'No, it isn't over,' _he thought grimly, _'It won't be over until you're dead at my feet, Yamikage.' _

He inspected his foot; the kunai had pierced it in a clean line. Should he head back? But what good would that do? He had to get the Mirror of Shadows first.

Gritting his teeth, Meta Knight continued his way. Kabu came closer and closer, looking like a giant hill against the horizon. As usual, a fire burnt in front of the entrance; but something was different.

Meta Knight stopped a few feet away from the stone. The fire looked darker, the flames seeming to crave for a victim to burn. It was odd; as he came closer, he felt no heat coming from the flames, nor could he detect any scent of smoke.

He flexed his muscles, knowing that something was wrong. In the distance, he heard the roll of thunder. A storm was rising.

"Kabu?," he called; no answer. Now really worried, Meta Knight approached the fire in front of the entrance. The flames made hissing sounds and blazed high into the sky, but Meta Knight didn't flinch.

With determined steps, he walked straight into the fire. It merely tickled him as the cold flames danced over his body. Then he had reached the other side.

For a second, everything seemed normal. Then he saw the figure standing in front of the pedestal that was meant for Warpstars. It had its back to him, but obviously knew he had entered. Meta Knight shivered.

"I've been waiting for you," it muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>I know it is a bit short, but this was a nice point to split it :3 One more chapter and the epilouge, I think. Still don't own anything^^"<strong>

**Flamefox2: If one of Kirby's half would be split, it would be a shadow kirby and the split kirby-half, yes :3 Funnily, I liked Dragato a lot, but while writing this, my liking faded...^^"**

**Tabby Sky Silver: Thanks! :D**


	21. The great showdown, part 2

The figure turned around. Its tattered, gray wings were stretched out behind him, and it played lazily with Dark Galaxia.

"Dark Meta Knight," Meta growled.

"So you remember me?," the demon asked with a sinister chuckle. He slowly approached Meta who was frozen on the spot, unable to move. When he was only a few feet away from him, he stopped and tilted his head.

"Do you miss something?," he asked, his eyes sparkling in a malicious crimson. Meta Knight made a step forward, but the demon lifted a fist.

"Now, now!," he grinned under his mask, "Don't be so boisterous, _Mety._" He opened his fist and Meta Knight froze.

In Dark Meta Knight's palm lied the small claw from his wing.

"Right, Meta," the demon whispered, "You were the one to lead the GSA in this trap. It's all your fault..."

"No!," Meta yelled, "You're lying! I couldn't abandon them!"

Dark Meta Knight stepped back, frowning. But his frown soon changed into a sneer: "You're so _noble, _Meta Knight. But Nightmare actually sent me here to make you an offer." Meta Knight gripped Galaxia's hilt tighter.

"I'm not interested in any deals he has for me," he snarled; he stepped forward, but his injured foot stopped him. Dark Meta Knight didn't seem to notice.

"He would forgive you your disobedience," the demon said, his voice calm, yet cold, "If you return now..."

"Never!" Meta Knight spat the word at his dark counterpart's face and threw himself at him. Dark Meta Knight side-stepped.

"I die, you die," he reminded Meta Knight, the smirk clear audible in his voice. Meta Knight growled and dove at him again.

"If I have to give my life to take yours," he hissed, "I will be glad to die!"

"So that's how you-"

He was cut off when Galaxia missed him by a hair. Snarling, he rose his own sword and jumped at Meta. Meta Knight parried the blow easily, but couldn't land a hit either.

He jumped back, avoiding the blade that was aimed at his feet this time. Dark Meta Knight flapped his wings and ascended from the ground quickly. He floated over Meta for a few seconds, then raced toward the blue puffball with high speed.

Meta Knight dodged, unfolded his own wings and pushed himself of the ground. A heartbeat later, Dark Galaxia hit the spot where he had been standing. The silver blade got stuck in the stone and the time Dark Meta Knight needed to pull it out again gave Meta chance to attack.

He shot forward, using his wings for maximal speed, and slammed into his counterpart. The demon yowled and let got of his sword as they both crashed into a wall and dropped to the floor.

They lied on the floor limply for a few seconds, then one of them rose slowly and picked up his version of Galaxia.

* * *

><p>Blizzard Knight threw himself at a rather small demon that had just killed one of his comrades.<p>

"Sword Beam!"

His rage-filled yell echoed around the battle-field. Most GSA-members lied dead on the ground already, but the white prince wouldn't give up yet. His attack killed the demon beast easily, but another monster attacked him from behind.

Sharp teeth missed him by a hair, but the large paw that was aimed at him found its target. He was thrown to the ground, the demon beast towering him. It looked a bit like a giant walrus; it had several cuts on its massive body and Blizzard didn't want to know what had happened to the one that had caused them. The demon charged at him, slamming its heavy head down.

Blizzard rolled to the side, but one of the long teeth caught his cape, pinning him down. The walrus-thing gave a triumphant yowl and prepared to strike to finish Blizzard off.

Suddenly, a sword flashed and cut Blizzard's cape, freeing the High Prince. He quickly dove away from the deathly demon and stabbed it in the neck while it still had its head on the ground. He turned around when the beast exploded and faced his rescuer.

"Thanks, Arthur," he muttered, panting, "That was close."

"We're retreating," Arthur said sternly. Blizzard stared at him.

"W-what? !," he stuttered, "You can't be serious!"

"Look around," Arthur growled, "They're all dead! We must flee as long as we still can!"

Just then, a shadow fell across them. Turning around, they faced the largest demon they had ever met. It bore slight resemblance with a horse, but no horse had claws and fangs like this.

With a high-pitched, ear-splitting noise, it dove forward, ready to kill.

* * *

><p>Pain pounded through Meta's body. His head was spinning from the impact with the stone-wall; he felt a trickle of hot liquid running down his cheek. <em>'I'm bleeding...,' <em>he thought.

Then something moved close to him when Dark Meta Knight got up. Meta opened his eyes and instinctively rose Galaxia over his head. A split second later, Dark Meta Knight's sword hit the sacred blade. The demon stumbled backwards slightly from the impact.

"Kabu!," Meta Knight called, "Summon the Mirror of Shadows!"

"MIRROR OF SHADOWS," Kabu said, his voice echoing around them.

Fragments of light started to spin behind Dark Meta Knight. A strong wind arose around them, soon forming a tornado in the center of Kabu. Dust swirled through the air, blinding both Meta Knights. A mirror had formed in the center of the tornado; oval-shaped with a silver frame and black glass.

Meta Knight knew he had to act now, or he would never get a chance again. With a furious growl, he grabbed the struggling demon and flew toward the mirror. _'Time to end this,' _he thought and hurtled his darker half toward the black surface.

Dark Meta Knight yelped in terror, arms waving desperately in search of hold. They found Meta Knight's mask. The blue puffball was jerked down when the scarlet glove took hold. He struggled, but Dark Meta Knight didn't let go. The black mirror came closer and closer.

"If I'm sealed away," the demonic Meta snarled, "You will be as well!"

Only a few inches separated them from the Mirror of Shadows now and the world seemed to slow down around Meta Knight. He acted as if in trance, brought up Galaxia and hit Dark Meta Knight's mask right over his right eye. The blow had enough force to split the steel and bury the blade into the flesh beneath. Droplets of blood flew; black blood as Meta Knight realized.

He felt the demon's grip loosening and put both feet against the black puffball. Then he pushed himself back, away from the mirror. The world returned to normal speed. Meta flew across the room while Dark Meta Knight was catapulted into the dark surface of the mirrors.

Lightning bolts emitted from the mirror, enlightening the room in cruelly bright light. Meta Knight landed on the floor and fell forward, shielding his eyes with his hand. He lied there, his own heartbeat echoing in his ears, breathing in short, ragged gasps, waiting for the light to fade.

_'I did it,' _he thought, _'He's gone...' _

Finally, the light faded and disappeared. Meta Knight got to his feet, shaking slightly. "I did it," he muttered, looking around to make sure that his dark half hadn't managed to escape after all. But Kabu was completely empty except for the Mirror of Shadows that hung over the pedestal meant for Warpstars.

Getting up, Meta Knight turned his wings back into a cape and wrapped it around himself.

"SO YOU CHOSE A SIDE, META KNIGHT."

Kabu's voice startled him, but the feeling of triumph and pride that rose in his chest pushed the feeling away quickly.

"I chose the _right_ side, didn't I?," he asked.

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A RIGHT SIDE. YOU DID WHAT YOUR CONSCIENCE THOUGHT WAS RIGHT."

"But what if I had chosen to work for Nightmare?"

The stone remained silent for a while. Finally, he answered: "THE OCEAN DOESN'T CARE IF A DROPLET OF WATER FLOWS INTO THE WRONG DIRECTION. FATE IS JUST THE SAME."

Meta Knight mused about this for a few seconds, but decided he had to worry about that later.

"How is the GSA doing?," he asked, "Are they winning?"

"YOU WILL FIND OUT SOON. BUT THERE IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT I MUST TELL YOU."

The answer alarmed Meta Knight, but he knew that arguing would be pointless. Kabu continued: "225 YEARS IN THE FUTURE, A NEW WARRIOR WILL LAND ON A PLANET THAT IS AFFLICTED BY DEMON BEASTS. A WARRIOR WITH A NEW ABILITY, AN ABILITY THAT EVEN NIGHTMARE CAN'T BEAT. A WARRIOR THAT CAN COPY HIS ENEMIES AND USE THEIR STRENGTH AGAINST THEM. KIRBY." Kabu went silent.

"225 years in the future? !," Meta Knight asked, "A planet afflicted by demons? !" He got no answer. "Kabu! Answer me!"

But the ancient voice didn't speak up again. Meta Knight spun around and raced outside. He detached his Warpstar from his shoulder plate while running. It instantly grew to its full size and Meta jumped on the metal. With a trail of golden light behind him, Meta Knight flew towards the battle-field.

His mind was racing, cluttered with thoughts. _'They can't be... They can't...'_

The Warpstar landed on a ledge and shrunk back to its usual size. Meta Knight grabbed it and walked to the edge. Dead demons lied on the ground beneath him, but most dead bodies belonged to the GSA. Weapons and armor were scattered over the scene, all broken and stained with blood.

Meta Knight let go of his cape and it flapped around him as the breeze tugged on it. His hand cramped around the Warpstar; the hard edges buried themselves into his flesh, but he didn't care.

The pain it caused was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. They were all gone... dead...

A memory hit him, making him fell like his heart was cut into pieces. 

_**"Alright... Attack me", Sir Jecra said, bringing himself in a defending position. Meta Knight carefully rated Jecra's strength. Then, he jumped forward and aimed a quick, yet powerful blow for Jecra's chest. The GSA-soldier moved fast and blocked the attack, but Meta Knight already attacked a second time, this time aiming for the soldier's legs. **_

_**Jecra managed to dodge and the **__**blow missed him about an inch. However, this had unbalanced him and when Meta Knight made his next move, Sir Jecra wasn't prepared. **_

_**He brought his sword up to block the blue Puffball's blow, but its force made him lose his grip. The steel was hurtled away and landed a few meters away with a clattering sound. Meta Knight jumped forward, sword outstretched. **_

_**Sir Jecra rolled out of the way and the blue recruit hit the wall behind the GSA-soldier painfully, losing his sword in the process. **_

_**"Rule one", Sir Jecra said sternly, "Never attack an unarmed opponent. Understood?" **_

The warrior had died through Meta Knight's own hands. A hot tear ran down his cheek.

_'You didn't deserve this... Nor did your wife... or your son...' _

He was the last Star Warrior now; Galacta Knight was sealed away and Blizzard... He swallowed and remembered how the High Prince had attacked and beaten him.

_**His opponent towered him, looking triumphant. **_

_**"Not bad." **_

_**Meta Knight couldn't believe his ears. Had his attacker just said that? His confusion grew when the figure sheathed its sword and offered him a hand. Ignoring this, Meta got up on his own. **_

_**"Who are you?," he growled, itching to have his sword. **_

_**"So you don't recognize me?," came the amused answer and a second later, a candle was lit. Meta Knight shut his eyes from the sudden brightness and when he opened them again, he practically gaped. **_

_**"Bliz- pardon, you majesty?," he asked, stunned.**_

He had probably fallen victim to the demons. Just like Garlude. Both had given their lives trying to save the Galaxy – and failed.

Just like Kirameki, Amai and Kimu; just like all the volunteers that had hoped to beat N.M.E.'s forces. Another painful memory crashed over him like a wave.

_**Garlude eyed Meta Knight with an almost pejorative look in her eyes. **_

_**"I have no choice, right?," she said finally. **_

_**Sir Arthur shook his head: "No." **_

_**"Fine," Garlude said and a small smirk appeared on her lips, "But he better has the courage of a true Star Warrior. We will leave at dusk." With that, she left the room, her dress waving behind her. Meta Knight was left with Blizzard and Arthur in an awkward silence. **_

_**"She is a great warrior," Sir Arthur finally said, "but she isn't really fond of teamwork." **_

_**Blizzard nodded: "You better be careful what you say when you work with her." **_

_**Meta Knight dipped his head: "I will." **_

Gone. All gone. Tears streamed down his face, hidden under his mask.

Then he remembered Kabu's words: There would be a new warrior. A warrior that could beat Nightmare. The thought gave him hope, hope that it wasn't over yet. Hope that all those deaths weren't in vain.

He re-attached his Warpstar to his armor and looked up. Kirby.

He would be ready; he would train that warrior. And Nightmare would fall.

_'My quest isn't over yet. And I'm ready for whatever may come!'_

* * *

><p><strong>So that's it. Only the epilogue left. I still don't own anything and Blizzard still belongs to Flamefox2. Now excuse me please... I have to cry my heart out...<strong>

**Tabby Sky Silver: Thank you so much!**

**Flamefox2: Well, now you know xD  
><strong>


	22. Epilogue

Four puffballs watched from the distance how Meta Knight stood on the ledge and looked down on the battle-field. Thunder rolled in the distance, heralding the thunderstorm that was coming closer.

"Did we do the right thing?," asked the palest puffball, "He must think we're all dead..."

"His destiny is different from ours," answered the puffball closest to him.

"He has to face it on his own," the third one muttered. They fell silent again and watched Meta once more.

"He will be able to cope with it."

"Lets hope so."

* * *

><p>The Kabu on Kivi is the oldest Kabu in the entire universe, a powerful being and also the source of great wisdom.<p>

However, the giant creature that slowly floated inside didn't seem to respect this. It had no feet, no body, just a cloak that hung down. The creature's eyes, hidden under black glasses, searched the room.

When it found the mirror that hung over a pedestal, a rage-filled cry emitted from its gray lips. His ultimate weapon had failed! Beaten by his own creation!

Something caught the figure's attention. It bended down and picked up something. A claw. Just what it needed...

A sinister laugh came from the creature's mouth. It seemed unreal with the lips parted, but unmoving.

"**You may think you won this round. But you will soon see what I'm capable of.**"

The creature turned around, cloak waving behind it as it left Kabu. It paused once it was outside and turned around again.

With a deep chuckle, the creature stretched out its bony hand. Shadows, looking like thick, black smoke, flew at the ancient stone. They revolved around the great rock, their speed increasing slowly.

Cracks appeared on Kabu's surface, quickly growing bigger. Finally, the stone collapsed. Dust rose from the ruins and the shadows slowly retreated.

"**Be prepared**," the creature said, "**You will face your worst... nightmare.**"

* * *

><p><strong>That's it. It's over. I still don't own any characters.<strong>

**Special Thanks to:**

** Flamefox2: For lending me Blizzard and Galora and giving honest feedback. Lunara the ara: For lending me Kirameki and kick my *** if I was too lazy to continue. CyanideSpirit/Tabby Sky Silver: For constant reviewing. Xtreme Nightmare, Someone who loves this story and Lupus Silvae: For pointing out the mistakes I made and giving loooong feedback. Everyone else who reviewed: I didn't get a single flame! Thanks so much guys!**

**I hope everyone who didn't review this enjoyed it too, and maybe leaves some feedback now that it's over? Please?**


End file.
